Green Beans Italiano
Here’s an easy one-skillet way to make delicious green beans. The flavors are wonderful, and always get a rave review around here.
INGREDIENTS
Green beans for four or five people (about 1 pound)
Small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
basil
oregano
parsley
14.5 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
instructions
The basil, oregano, and parsley can either be dried or fresh. The chopped tomatoes can be purchased already chopped, or you can chop whole tomatoes. Some markets carry a nice variety of special canned chopped tomatoes, like Italian, Mexican, and so forth. Use them if you want the extra flavor. I don’t think you can go wrong with this dish.
Heat the oil and butter in the skillet, and add the onion. Cook a minute or so and add the garlic for another minute or so. Then add the green beans, toss to coat with the oil and butter and sauté for five minutes without stirring. That’s so the beans can get a few tasty brown spots on them. After tossing and frying a few times, add the broth and tomatoes and cover the pan to steam the beans. If you don’t have a cover for the pan, it will take longer to cook the beans — or you can transfer the whole mess into a sauce pan with a lid.
How tender you like the beans is up to you. Some folks like them crunchy; that will only take about another ten minutes. But if you like them tender, just cook them longer and test them once in a while. It takes about 30 minutes or more for my taste. When they are the way you like them, season them to taste with salt and pepper, if desired, and stir.
After they’re done, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.