Fresh green beans with sweet caramelized shallots and savory Italian pancetta take vegetables to a whole new level.
As an Italian quite familiar with pancetta, I have to say I much prefer bacon! So it was bacon I used in this recipe rather than pancetta. Low and slow heat caramelizes the shallots and that mixture onto the beans (I used the more delicate haricots verts) made for a richly flavored, beautifully elegant side dish. That's saying a lot for the humble green bean! The caramelized shallots and the bacon stood on their own and needed no garlic or other seasonings beyond the salt and pepper. Nice.
Read More As an Italian quite familiar with pancetta, I have to say I much prefer bacon! So it was bacon I used in this recipe rather than pancetta. Low and slow heat caramelizes the shallots and that mixture onto the beans (I used the more delicate haricots verts) made for a richly flavored, beautifully elegant side dish. That's saying a lot for the humble green bean! The caramelized shallots and the bacon stood on their own and needed no garlic or other seasonings beyond the salt and pepper. Nice.
This was great, and very easy to prepare. I reckon it could do with some extra pancetta, but other than that it's perfect. Oh, I also omitted the addl salt as it was not needed, just seasoned with pepper.
I love this great simple recipe. I added a spash of Balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp of chopped garlic. the addition of pecans cooked with the shallots would be awesome.
Very delicious side dish! I decided to use bacon instead of pancetta since I had it on hand. I used frozen green beans, let them thaw before cooking. I came out great!
This is delicious. I also make this with brussels sprouts. The only changes I make is I add a touch of olive oil when sauteeing the pancetta and at the end I put in a 1/2 cup of low-salt chicken broth and let it reduce until it just coats the vegetables. Makes a nice sauce.
Excellent! Simple and delicious. Followed the recipe except I used bacon in place of the pancetta. The slightly smoked bacon and caramelized shallots together with the fresh beans is perfect. Everyone commented that they would like to have this again. Thanks for sharing!
VERY VERY GOOD! Made for our small group and it was a HUGE HIT! Very easy and when you group the instructions together, ex: cook the bacon the same time as boiling the beans, it goes VERY quick.
Yummy and fragrant! I dislike pancetta so I used bacon instead. I doubled the recipe, so I scooped out most of the fat, setting it aside (in case I need to add more later). I love shallots but I've never thought of using shallots for green beans before, just my usual red onions. The shallots gives bland green beans an extra special touch to it, but not too overwhelming. Of course bacon makes everything good :) this is a keeper!
This is a very good recipe, I added a clove of minced garlic in with the shallots. Yummy!
For convenience, I used frozen green beans instead of fresh. For flavor, I cooked them in chicken broth. I liked the taste of the shallots and pancetta, but I think it needed something more. Next time I'll add some red pepper flakes for a little heat.
This ridiculously simple recipe is amazingly delicious!! The pancetta and shallots make the dish so fragrant. We've also used it with asparagus with the same excellent results!
This was a great recipe. The pancetta bacon has got such a unique and delicious taste! In the future I think I will use a little broth to cook the beans in for a touch more flavor...but these were a huge hit!
Very nice. I made this vegetarian by using some peppered deli "meat," which probably didn't do the dish justice, of course. After finding out more about pancetta, I might add some nutmeg to make the substitute more authentic next time.
I used bacon instead of pancetta. I cooked the 4 slices, removed them and then chopped them. Then I added an 8 oz. container of sliced mushrooms and cooked them the rendered bacon fat for about 10 min until the juices were released. At the end, I added a teaspoon of minced garlic and sauteed for another minute or two. I added the beans back in (used haricot verts), stirred in the salt and pepper. Best green beans ever! Next time I will add a dash of soy sauce, as that's how I traditionally make this dish, but it was delicious without it!
Great flavor! The beans deglazed the pan and soaked up all the yummy pancetta flavors. The shallot is key. Simple but elegant. I gave it 4 stars more for the beans I had, not the recipe. I should have tried this when beans are in season. Mine were really hard and not very palatable. Will definitely try this again this summer!
I loved the pancetta, but because it is quite salty I eliminated all the extra salt. I also added a garlic clove to the shallots.
I absolutely love this recipe so much so I'm growing beans and shallots in my garden this year. I make it every few weeks.
Great recipe! I found italian green beans (the flat ones) and I did not have pancetta so I used bacon (microwavable type - no fat residue). I fried the shallot in 2 teaspoons of olive oil and added at the end one garlic clove sliced. One think you must remember when using bacon- you need to serve the beens right away or else the bacon will not taste crispy. Great change for my veggie side dish! thank you
This was a great recipe. I made it first with the pancetta and made it again with bacon. I have to say that I did like the bacon a bit better. I put it on the Thanksgiving table and unlike the usual green bean casserrol that is left barely touched, these fresh beans were gone. This is definitely making the holiday table every year.
Good recipe. I doubled the quinoa, added minced portabella mushroom and dried basil. My meatloaf came out nice and juicy!
I made this recipe for a potluck and everyone liked it. The pancetta was different, but good. I just prefer bacon instead.
I made this recipe via the magazine, in which AR had "pre-prep" tips, which I followed, and it made serving the thanksgiving dinner go together in a breeze.. The tips from the magazine said you could pre-cook the green beans, according to directions, put in fridge, same for pre-cooking the pancetta & shallots. Made putting Thanksgiving dinner a total breeze. Everyone raved about the beans... Shared the recipe with my sister, and she's going to serve it with her Prime Rib Dinner for Christmas.. Ditto for me.. Thanks AR!!!
Delicious! I didn't have a shallot, and couldn't bring myself to go to the extra expense since my grocery only sells them in little bags of 4 or 5, rather than singles in the produce department. So I substituted a small yellow sweet onion for the shallot. Like other reviewers, I also added a clove of garlic. Otherwise, I prepared as directed to serve with Easter lunch. I really think the pancetta adds a lot to this recipe that you would miss by using bacon (I'm a southern girl, so bacon is a staple here and we typically use it to season vegetables). However, the pancetta has a distinctly different flavor that is subtler (allowing other flavors to shine through in this dish rather than overpowering as bacon might), and crisps up much nicer than bacon. Will share this recipe and make it again. Thanks for posting!
I was never a fan of green beans until now, super easy to make although to make it easier to eat I cut the green beans in half and substituted the pancetta with bacon.
This was a simple, delicious dish. I couldn't find pancetta or shallots in my tiny town, so I used a nice peppered bacon and sweet onion. Another recipe had sliced almonds, so I threw some in just for fun. I added them to the onions for about the last minute of cooking and then used a slotted spoon to put them all in with the crumbled bacon and green beans. Yummy! It was a classic but elegant addition to a birthday dinner party.
This was good. I added one clove of garlic. Next time I will cook my pancetta a little less. I like "meaty" bacon, so I think I will enjoy this more if the pancetta is less crunchy.
Very good! I had to use ham as the stores out here do not carry any "specialty products" s they told me. Still turned out great. I crisped it, added shallots and yum!
Used microwave-in-the-bag beans, followed cooling directions in this recipe. Used bacon instead of pancetta and used a regular onion and a minced clove of garlic (substitute for shallot). Once browned, I added beans, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. They were delicious and the perfect side to roasted tenderloin.
Very similar to my green bean recipe; I don't go to the trouble of boiling fresh beans, but I use canned whole green beans (drained). I cut up 3 or 4 slices of bacon, dice 1/2 of a sweet onion (Vidalea if available). Sauté them together with a little minced garlic and when the onion is transparent, stir in the beans. Then, I add 2 or 3 tbsp of dark brown sugar and just enough Worcestershire sauce to make a syrup. Stir this in and heat on low until warm. My daughter always asks me to make extra so she can take some home.
Just OK. Not much flavor.
I made this dish with beans picked fresh from my garden. I brought it to a potluck where it got many thumbs up. I did use bacon instead of ham and it was perfect. This is my new favorite green bean recipe!
This was delicious as a side with Fettuccini Alfredo! The flavors and textures of the two dishes were very complimentary to one another!
A very savory side dish. I had to add some chicken broth and cover the skillet for the final stage, cooking longer to finish the beans. My wife doesn't like crunchy beans. Flavor was very good.
Love this! The pancetta is perfect and doesn't overpower the flavor of the beans. I used 2 shallots and 4-5 oz pancetta. I'll take pancetta over bacon any day!
I made this recipe using bacon instead of pancetta. I usually stick the package of bacon in the freezer for about 20 min, then it's most easier to chop into thin pieces. I sautéed the bacon, then removed from the pan. I added the shallots and sautéed, then added some fresh garlic. I added all the green beans to the pan and sautéed until cooked but slightly crisp. Added the bacon back to the pan, along with some salt and fresh pepper. Delish!
I decided to try this recipe because the addition of pancetta. I usually use bacon. I caramelized the shallots with 2 cloves of minced fresh garlic, which added sweetness and rich flavor. I did not have fresh green beans and used frozen whole green beans instead and skipped plunging in cold water. Turned out just fine. I added a few extra seasonings that made a positive addition; a dash of Herbs de Provence small amount of salt and extra pepper.
Made it by the recipe. I was very pleased with the results. Will make again soon.
