Chef Nicolette's Braised Romano Beans with Early Girl Tomatoes
"We often think of cooking vegetables briefly so they stay bright and crisp which definitely has its place, but something magical happens to Romano beans when they’re slowly cooked with tomato. Braising them really brings out their natural sweetness and the mixture of the tart and sweet tomato, salty and umami anchovy really hits all the senses making a truly satisfying dish that’s delicious on its own or with your favorite meat or seafood. It also makes a super easy meal when topped with a fried egg, chili oil and some crusty bread. "
Chef Nicolette's Braised Romano Beans with Early Girl Tomatoes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1# Romano beans
- 1 jar Luke’s Early Girl Tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Luke’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 1 TB tomato paste
- Salt
Steps
- Trim any ends off Romano beans and roughly chop into thirds.
- Heat a pot of water and bring to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt (it should taste saltier than the Pacific Ocean!)
- Add Romano beans and cook until al dente , about 3 minutes. Remove from pot and discard water.
- Dry pot and add olive oil and garlic.
- Saute over medium heat until garlic sizzles.
- Add anchovies and cook until they start to break down, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and cook until it starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
- Add the jar of early girl tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
- Add Romano beans and a pinch of salt and return to a simmer.
- Cover with lid and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Remove lid and continue to cook until Romano beans are very tender and starting to fall apart and tomato sauce has thickened, about 45 minutes.
- Taste for salt, adding if necessary.
- PS! You can make this a day ahead of time if you want, since we think it tastes even better on days 2 and 3!
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Also in Luke's Local Blog
Chef Nicolette's Eggplant Caponata
"I love making a big batch of caponata in the summer to have in my fridge all week. It’s great with pretty much anything- meat, fish, toast, fried eggs, cheese- it’s just delish! This recipe makes things a bit easier by roasted the eggplant and folding it in at the end. Traditionally, pine nuts are mixed in but I like garnishing with almonds since we live in the almond mecca and this way they add nice crunch to the dish. Caponata is better made at least a day in advance as well to allow the flavors to meld together. Even people who are weary of eggplant won’t be able to resist the sweet, tart and rich flavor of this caponata!"
