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.