Italian cuisine is all about taking a few simple ingredients and elevating them into something truly delicious. This simple side dish does exactly that. It's the kind of food that is greater than the sum of its parts.
We like it spicy, but feel free to omit the heat!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Serve 2-3.
For this recipe, you will need:
- 300g (10.5oz) green beans, cleaned and trimmed
- Salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
- 2 fresh peperoncini or chili peppers (optional)
- 5-6 medium roma tomatoes, quartered
- 2-3 leaves fresh basil
Bring a medium pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Add the green beans.
While the beans boil, add the oil, garlic and peperoncini into a skillet. Bring to medium temperature on the stovetop.
When the oil is shimmering, add the tomatoes and sautèe for 1-2 minutes. Tear the basil and add into the tomatoes. Stir all together.
At this point, the green beans should be about halfway cooked, depending on your preference. The idea here is to add them into the tomatoes and finish them in the pan. If you prefer much softer vegetables, feel free to turn off the heat on the tomatoes for a a few minutes while continuing to boil the green beans.
When ready, use a slotted spoon to transfer the green beans into the tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt.
Ladle a little bit of the cooking water into the pan and simmer until the green beans are tender to your taste. Be sure to boil off the excess water before serving, and taste to check the salt again towards the end.
Buon appetito!