WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In the crisp-tender craze of recent years, a lesser known but time-honored approach to cooking green beans has become overlooked and underappreciated. A slow braise turns green beans into something silky-smooth and altogether different. This Mediterranean version calls for sautéing the aromatics on the stovetop in a Dutch oven, then adding the green beans and tomatoes and transferring the pot to the oven for hands-off simmering until the sauce is thickened and the beans become infused with the tomato and garlic. The best part is the velvety texture of the beans: The slow cooking renders them so meltingly tender that they’re almost creamy.
Serves: 4 to 6
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-to 3-inch lengths
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved, chopped coarse
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Red wine vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, baking soda, and green beans and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
- Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and green beans can be easily cut with side of fork, 40 to 50 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with vinegar to taste. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and serve warm or at room temperature.
VARIATIONS:
MEDITERRANEAN BRAISED GREEN BEANS WITH POTATOES AND BASIL:
- Substitute 2 teaspoons oregano for cayenne, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil for parsley, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice for red wine vinegar. In step 1, add 1 pound peeled Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 2-to 3-inch pieces, to pot with green beans and increase salt to 2 teaspoons.
MEDITERRANEAN BRAISED GREEN BEANS WITH MINT AND FETA:
- Add ¾ teaspoon ground allspice with garlic and cayenne. Substitute 2tablespoons chopped fresh mint for parsley. Omit 2 tablespoons oil in step 2. Sprinkle green beans with ½ cup crumbled feta cheese before serving.
