Green Beans Almondine

Trim the green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

Blanch the beans: Add the beans to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes (or 4 to 5 minutes for standard green beans)*, until tender but still crisp. Right when the beans are tender, remove them from the boiling water with tongs and transfer them to the bowl of ice water. Once cool, drain and pat them dry on a clean dish cloth. (You can blanch the beans up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate until completing Step 3.)

Cook the beans: In a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced almonds and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not yet browned. Add the dried green beans and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until warmed through and almonds are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Taste and add a few more pinches salt if necessary.