Tomato Stewed Romano Beans with Garlicky Breadcrumbs
Romano beans are my obsession this summer. I like green beans, but I don’t love them, so I was really excited to get my hands on their meatier, sturdier counterparts at the farmers market. When cooked, Romano beans become so tender and velvety, and I find myself craving them weekly. Stewing Romano beans in tomato sauce is a classic preparation, and I can see why. The stewing tenderizes the beans, while the tomato sauce imparts all of its beautiful, savory flavors. In this recipe, we use a special, garlic confit tomato sauce for the stewing (though you can definitely use other tomato sauce here as well!), and top the dish with garlicky breadcrumbs for some crunch and extra richness. This dish goes very well with farro (my personal favorite pairing), rice, bread, or it can be stirred into pasta.
P.S. If you can’t find Romano beans and still want to make this recipe, it can be made with green beans - see the recipe notes.
Tomato Stewed Romano Beans with Garlicky Breadcrumbs
serves 4-6
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce with garlic confit (or any other tomato sauce of choice)
1 lb/455 g Romano beans (see note), sliced in half, then in half again (into 4 pieces)
sea salt
olive oil
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
fresh basil, for garnishing
Add the tomato sauce to a large skillet and heat over medium heat, until gently simmering. Add the beans and a pinch of salt, stir to combine. Bring everything back to a simmer and cover the skillet with a lid (or flat baking sheet). Let the beans gently simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring periodically, until tender to your liking.
Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Toast the breadcrumbs until golden, 3-4 minutes. Serve the tomato stewed Romano beans, sprinkled with the garlicky breadcrumbs and garnished with basil.
Note
If using green beans, halve them and stew for 10-15 minutes, until tender but not too mushy.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
The garlicky breadcrumbs can be used to add texture and oomph to so many dishes. Think gratins or bakes, pasta, soups or stews.
All kind of vegetables besides the Romano beans can be stewed in tomato sauce with great results. In the summer, I love tomato-stewing summer squash/zucchini with eggplant (pre-sauteed) and red onion, for a ratatouille-inspired meal.