Romano Beans Recipes

ROMANO BEANS WITH MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
• Cook Romano beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and tender, 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Drain and pat dry.
• Meanwhile, mix vinegar, mustard, garlic, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl to combine. Let sit 10 minutes for flavors to come together.
• Add walnuts and Romano beans to dressing. Finely zest lemon over beans and add parsley. Season with salt and lots of pepper and toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with more oil.

ROMANO BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook uncovered until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and set aside in a large bowl.
• Smash garlic, olive oil, mint, and salt using mortar and pestle.
• Pour vinegar and half of olive oil mixture over beans and toss well.
• Transfer beans to a resealable freezer bag. Pour remaining olive oil mixture into bag, squeeze out all air, seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
• Remove beans from refrigerator, top with fresh mint and serve.

BRAISED ROMANO BEANS WITH SALMORIGLIO

Steps:

• Beans, part 1: Preheat oven to 400 F. Trim the ends of the tomatoes, then cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Spread them, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 45 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• While the tomatoes are roasting, spread the slivered almonds in a small, ovenproof sauté pan and slide into the oven, underneath the tomatoes. Toast for 5 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Meanwhile, trim and clean the Romano beans, peel and slice the shallots and garlic, and set them all aside. Heat remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and brown for a few minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add oregano, beans, and stock, and stir gently to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to medium. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
• Salmoriglio: Peel and mince the garlic. Pick the oregano leaves from the stems and chop with the garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add lemon zest to the herb-garlic mixture, and continue to chop until it's uniformly minced. Put mixture in a medium mixing bowl, and stir in lemon juice. Drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Beans, part 2: After 20 minutes, check the beans for doneness. If they're "mushy" enough for you, remove them from the heat; if not, continue cooking for a few additional minutes. Once the tomatoes have cooled, remove the skins and coarsely chop. Fold the tomatoes and any leftover juices into the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
• Assembly: Pour beans into a large mixing bowl. Add toasted almonds, and toss to combine. Dress beans with salmoriglio to taste. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve to your guests.

STEWED ROMANO BEANS WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a wide, lidded skillet or Dutch oven and add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook gently without browning, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute, until fragrant.
• Stir in romano beans, tomatoes and half the dill. Add 1/2 cup water, bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until beans are tender. Stir in remaining dill and olive oil and simmer another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve hot, warm or room temperature, with feta sprinkled over the top. If serving as a main dish, serve over cooked grains such as bulgur, quinoa, polenta or brown rice, or toss with pasta.

GRILLED ROMANO BEANS

Steps:

• Heat grill pan over medium heat for 4 or 5 minutes. Tip: if using an outdoor grill, thread the beans crosswise on bamboo skewers (skewers soaked in water first) on both the top and bottom of the beans.
• In a shallow pan, lightly coat beans by rolling them in the olive oil.
• Place the Romano beans on grill pan in a [single layer] and grill 4 minutes on each side.
• Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the minced garlic, sprinkle with sea salt and cheese, if using.
• Servings are estimated.

SLOW-ROASTED ROMANO BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Peel the onions, trim the roots, but leave the root ends intact (this will keep the onions in wedges, rather than slices). Cut the onions lengthwise into 3 or 4 thick (about 1/3-inch) wedges. Slice the garlic cloves lengthwise into three or four thick slices each.
• Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the beans to a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the beans are completely wilted, shrunken, and concentrated in flavor, with a little caramelization around the edges. (You may need to stir more often toward the end, to keep the beans from browning too quickly.)