The Romans add wine to their blanched string beans, which provides an unusual touch, and red pepper to give them zing as well. "There have always been string beans of every kind in Rome," says Livio Jannattoni in La Cucina Romana e del Lazio -- "both the long, thin tender varieties, and those that have broadened and contain embryonic beans, and are called a corallo."
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- About 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) string beans, tips trimmed
- 1/4 pound plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 a hot pepper, shredded
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- Salt
Preparation:
Continuing with the introduction, Mr. Jannattoni says that string beans should always be prepared, with the tips trimmed, the strings stripped away, and rinsed thoroughly. The tiny thin ones are perfect seasoned with lemon juice, and perhaps a clove of garlic to give them flavor. Either kind, after blanching, can also be stewed in tomato sauce.
To make basic string beans Roman style, sauté a thinly sliced onion in lard or olive oil, and then it has browned add chopped blanched peeled seeded tomatoes, and continue cooking. When the sauce is ready stir in the blanched beans and season everything well with salt, pepper, and minced parsley. Cook a minute or two more (don't overcook), and the string beans are ready.
To prepare fagiolini a corallo a crudo for 6:
Sauté the garlic and the pepper in the oil, and when the garlic gets light creamy brown add the beans and stir well; salt to taste, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally. When the beans look like they're drying out, stir in a third of the wine and continue cooking. Repeat the procedure two more times, and when the final addition of wine is evaporated stir in the tomatoes and continue simmering until they are cooked too.
Yield: 6 serving Corallo string beans.
To make basic string beans Roman style, sauté a thinly sliced onion in lard or olive oil, and then it has browned add chopped blanched peeled seeded tomatoes, and continue cooking. When the sauce is ready stir in the blanched beans and season everything well with salt, pepper, and minced parsley. Cook a minute or two more (don't overcook), and the string beans are ready.
To prepare fagiolini a corallo a crudo for 6:
Sauté the garlic and the pepper in the oil, and when the garlic gets light creamy brown add the beans and stir well; salt to taste, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally. When the beans look like they're drying out, stir in a third of the wine and continue cooking. Repeat the procedure two more times, and when the final addition of wine is evaporated stir in the tomatoes and continue simmering until they are cooked too.
Yield: 6 serving Corallo string beans.
