thefoodlessprocessed

“Flat beans (sometimes sold as stringless beans)…became popular towards the end of the 20th century, being exported by Spain and East Africa…and are snapped into lengths for cooking…they are simply called ‘beans from Spain’ in France. The flat bean is the Spanish ferrula, a classic ingredient of the Valencian paella.“ from Larousse Gastronomique (2009 edition).

What Larousse is referring to as the Spanish “ferrula” is essentially a flat, broad green bean of the same general type as what in Italy and the States is called “romano”. The beans are often slow-cooked until tender, yet they still keep a fresh flavour.

The less processed ingredient options are: Preserved Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Garlic, Fresh Basil, and Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.

Equipment

• a large Sauté Pan and Lid: thefoodlessprocessed uses an enameled cast iron sauteuse with a black baked-on porcelain enamel interior.
• a Flame Tamer (aka Heat Diffuser, Simmering Plate). The pan does not sit directly over the heat source. Some versions of flame tamers are compatible with a smooth-top burner.

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454 g) of Romano Beans, tipped and tailed (i.e. remove the stem end and the pointed end) and each cut into 4 or 5 lengths: The beans are stringless.
• 3 cloves of Organic Garlic, sliced
• 1/8 cup (30 ml) of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 350 g of Imported Italian Boxed Chopped Tomatoes
• Freshly ground Black Pepper
• 8 or 10 small leaves of Organic Fresh Basil, rolled up together into a cylinder and sliced in narrow strips: The leaves are less likely to be crushed and will retain more of their bright colour.
• several Tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, grated

Making the Beans

• Heat the oil in the pan and add the garlic. Sauté it until the edges begin to colour.
• Add the tomatoes and cook them briefly with the garlic, stirring and combining them.
• Place the pan on the flame tamer. Add the beans, cover the pan with the lid and cook gently until the beans are quite tender. Those in the photo were done in 40 minutes.
• Remove the lid, grind in some fresh black pepper and reduce the mixture slightly.
• Sprinkle the beans with the basil and Parmesan just before serving.

Note: Fagiolini piattoni al pomodoro also may be served at room temperature. With this in mind this dish is also included in the blog’s category Food That Travels. The basil and Parmesan are still added just before serving.