There’s a side dish I keep in my back pocket for every kind of dinner party, and it has a weirdly fancy reputation. It is green beans. Wrapped in prosciutto.
Everyone does a little double-take when the plate comes out. Then everyone seconds. The secret is that this recipe takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time, and you can build the bundles ahead and bake them right before you eat.
Why this one works
Three things make this a keep-forever recipe:
- It’s almost entirely prepped. Blanch the beans, wrap them, done. The oven finishes the job in a few minutes.
- The prosciutto does the seasoning. As it crisps up, it turns salty and a little caramelized. You don’t need a sauce.
- It’s flexible. Keto, low carb, Paleo, and clean eating friendly, and it goes with steak, chicken, salmon, ham, or turkey. It is a genuinely useful backup side for the rest of the year, not just the holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans, thin ones preferred (French green beans / haricots verts if you can find them)
- 3 tbsp butter, melted (olive oil works too)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional if you like a little heat
- 6 slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise
- Toasted almonds, crushed or sliced, optional for the top
A quick note on beans: fresh beats frozen or canned for this, and the thinner the bean, the better it wraps. If your store sells pre-packaged haricots verts in the refrigerated produce section, grab a bag. They usually need no trimming, they are uniform in size, and they save you a step. I have found them at my local grocers and at Trader Joe’s.
5 simple steps
- Blanch the beans. Boil them for 4-5 minutes until crisp-tender (thicker beans may take a minute or two longer). Drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and blot dry.
- Make the coating. Whisk the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add the beans and toss to coat.
- Wrap 12 bundles. Gather about 12-15 beans into a bundle. Lay one half-slice of prosciutto on a flat surface, place a bundle of beans at one end, and roll it up lengthwise.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the bundles seam-side down on a baking sheet and bake 5-7 minutes, until the beans are warm and the prosciutto edges have browned.
- Finish. Serve immediately. Scatter crushed toasted almonds over the top if you want a little crunch.
Make-ahead tip: you can blanch the beans and assemble all 12 bundles ahead of time. Keep them covered in the fridge and bake just before serving. This is the move for Thanksgiving or any Sunday where the main dish has a lot going on.
Nutrition (per bundle): 53 kcal, 2.9g carbs, 1.5g protein, 3.7g fat, 122mg sodium, 1.1g fiber, 1.1g sugar.
What I have been serving them with, from the recipe’s own suggestion list: steak, prime rib, grilled meats, BBQ, turkey, chicken, ham or pork loin, salmon. And yes, it earns its keep as a Thanksgiving side.
Make it your own
Here are the swaps I would actually make:
- No dairy: olive oil instead of butter, and it still crisps up nicely.
- No heat: skip the cayenne entirely, it is optional in the original for a reason.
- Extra crunch: the toasted almonds are the best part. If you want more texture, pile on more or add a little extra at the table.
Start today
- ✓ Pick up a bag of haricots verts on your next grocery run, so they are waiting in the fridge.
- ✓ Keep 6 slices of prosciutto and a block of butter in the pantry rotation.
- ✓ Bookmark this for the next dinner you are hosting. You will thank yourself.
Today’s tiny step
Wrap one bundle tonight, even if you eat it over a bowl of soup. Fifteen minutes, one plate, zero planning. The fancy-looking side dish is closer than you think.
— E, your habit neighbor