Fagiolini in umido (green beans in tomato sauce)
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
10
minutesCooking time
15
minutesFagiolini is the Italian name for green beans, and in Venetian dialect we call them "tegoline". This recipe for "tegoline in umido" looks deceptively simple, but the flavour of this dish is to die for. You can enjoy this recipe all spring and summer long, and it is best eaten at room temperature.
Ingredients
500g fresh green bean (organic if you find them)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 can of good quality chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree
100ml vegetable stock
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Salt, Pepper ans Sugar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Wash the green beans by soaking them in cold water for a few minutes, then drain them in a colander. Chop off heads and tails of the beans and discard.
- Warm a wide saucepan or frying pan with a lid over a medium heat. Pour a generous tablespoon of olive oil, add chopped garlic and parsley, a pinch of salt and some pepper and fry for a few minutes stirring until the garlic starts to soften but is still pale.
- Add the green beans and give a good stir. Let them cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the garlic doesn't brown too much, if necessary lower the heat a little. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and stock, one teaspoon of sugar and some seasoning. Stir well to combine.
- Leave to cook for another 10 minutes, partially covered with a lid, still allowing some of the steam to escape. After the time is over, taste a green bean, it should be cooked but still retain some crunch. Cook a few minutes longer if still too hard.
- When cooked, remove the lid and raise the heat to quickly cook off any excess water still visible in the tomato sauce. It should be a fairly thick sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to a serving dish or individual plates. Eat immediately or leave to cool to room temperature and eat cold. They will taste even better.