Hazelnut Green Beans With Prosciutto and Dates

Equally at home on the holiday table or at a backyard barbecue, this bright green-bean salad is filled with captivating texture–crunchy hazelnuts, crisp cured meat, chewy dates, barely tender beans. Frying the hazelnuts in oil cooks them evenly from the inside out more quickly than toasting in an oven. As a bonus, the heady hazelnut-scented oil becomes the base for the vinaigrette that dresses the green beans. Make the dressing as close to serving as possible so the nuts remain crunchy. If you prefer, you can substitute sliced almonds in place of the hazelnuts, and if you're vegetarian, simply skip the prosciutto.