Grilled and Stewed Romano Beans with Garlic, Tomato, and Basil

Romano beans are long, flat beans that kind of look like flattened string beans. While you can cook them briefly so that they retain their natural crunch, I really like when they are cooked a bit longer…until they are soft and sweet. In this recipe we will give the beans a quick grill to impart a bit of charred flavor and then cook them in a garlicky tomato sauce until soft. If you do not have a grill, you can sear them in a very hot pan before braising. After a brief braise, the romano beans are finished with fresh basil and plenty of olive oil. This side dish/appetizer tastes better after it has cooled down a bit so feel free to prepare it ahead of time. This dish works great for a backyard barbecue as it is light, tasty, and very easy to make.

Round Out The Spread:

• English Pea Crostini with Ricotta, Mint, and Prosciutto
• Simple Chicken Liver Mousse
• 20 Minute Tomato Gazpacho
• Salt Cod Brandade
• Grilled Calamari and White Bean Salad

Grilled and Stewed Romano Beans with Garlic, Tomato and Basil

Ian Benites

A simple side dish of grilled and stewed romano beans.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 pound Romano Beans (green or yellow)
• about 1 tbsp neutral-flavored cooking oil
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 cup good quality, whole canned tomatoes, with their juice (I like Bianco Dinapoli brand)
• 2/3 cup chicken stock or water
• 1 tsp fish sauce or colatura (optional but recommended to add a savory flavor)
• 1/2 cup chiffonade fresh basil (1/4 inch wide chiffonade)
• about 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• kosher salt
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Instructions

 

• Remove the stems from the romano beans. Wash the beans and pat them dry with a towel.
  
• Toss the romano beans in the neutral oil and season with salt. Make sure the oil completely coats all of the romano beans in a very thin layer. If you use too much oil, the excess oil could flare up as you grill the beans.***if you do not have a grill, you can sear the beans in a hot skillet until lightly charred on both sides***
  
• Get your grill very hot and lay the romano beans in one layer on the hottest part of the grill. Allow the romano beans to cook for about 2-4 minutes or until they have started to lightly char.
  
• Flip the beans and cook them the same way on the other side. remove the beans from the grill and keep them on a plate until ready to add them to the tomato sauce.
  
• Using clean hands, crush the whole tomatoes (along with the tomato juice) between your fingers so that they form a rustic, chunky tomato sauce. Set aside
  
• Slice the garlic thinly.
  
• Heat a large saute pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil and the sliced garlic to the pan. Cook garlic while stirring until it becomes golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.
  
• When the garlic is golden brown, Add the crushed tomato to the pan. Cook for 1 minute.
  
• Add the stock/water, sugar, and fish sauce to the pan. If you are using pine nuts, add them now. Turn the heat down to low and simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes.
  
• Add the romano beans and chiffonade basil to the pan and cook at a low simmer for at least 5 minutes and until the beans are very soft and the sauce is no longer watery. If the sauce begins to dry up prematurely, feel free to add a bit more stock or water to adjust the consistency.
  
• When the beans are done cooking, adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Plate the beans and sauce on a flat plate and drizzle them with a generous quantity of olive oil, about 3 tbsp. I like to let the beans cool off and "marinate" on the serving plate for at least 10-15 minutes before eating.