An Italian-style green bean salad with a simple basil and olive oil dressing and freshly toasted pine nuts.

10 oz (300g) green beans—halved on the diagonal

3 tablespoons pine nuts

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

½ clove garlic—minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

TOAST the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned (about 2 minutes). COOK the green beans in rapidly boiling water for 6 minutes, then refresh under cold water and drain. ADD all the remaining ingredients to a screw top jar and shake to combine. ADD the green beans to a large bowl, pour over the dressing mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. LEAVE to stand for 10 minutes then stir through the pine nuts and serve.

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