Romano Beans with Tomatoes and Cannellini

Romano beans with tomatoes and cannellini are flavored with garlic and olives in this easy dish that’s perfect for midsummer. These tasty flat green beans are more likely to be found at farm markets in private gardens, so if you happen to come upon them, you’re in luck!

A friend of mine grows them in his garden, and since, like many garden goods, they’re all ripe and ready to pick at once, he shares his surplus. Since I don’t come across them too often, I haven’t worked with them much, but I can tell you that they’re excellent in simple midsummer dishes like this simple sauté. 

What are Romano beans?

Of Italian origin, Romano beans are also called Italian flat beans or Italian pole beans. They’re a lot like the more common green bean, but flatter, and at their best are tender and sweet with a milder flavor. They’re also related to pole beans. According to Specialty Produce: 

“As its given name suggests, the Romano bean is native to Italy. In fact, it is sometimes referred to generically as an Italian Pole bean. Pole beans are known to yield longer harvests per season than bush bean varieties.

Their seasons often stretch into the fall during shorter days and cooler nights, whereas bush bean types will yield abundant crops instantly which has notoriously dubbed bush beans as a bean not just for fresh picking but for canning. Romano beans are harvested for fresh eating, canning and freezing.”

Here’s lots more information about Romano beans.

What’s a good swap for Romano beans? If out of season or hard to come by, you can absolutely substitute regular green beans in this and other recipes. Snap peas might work in other instances as well.

Can Romano beans be used raw? If harvested when young and tender, Romano beans also be used raw. Just trim the tips and cut into bite-sized segments to add to salads. In all other dishes, they need only brief cooking, since you want to retain their crunch and flavor.

Image: SpecialtyProduce.com

Explore more …

• Romano Beans with Summer Squash
• Savory and Delicious Olive Recipes
• Plant-based Recipes for Cannellini & Great Northern Beans

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Yield: 4 to 6

Romano Beans with Tomatoes and Cannellini

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Romano beans with tomatoes and cannellini are flavored with garlic and olives in this easy dish that’s perfect for midsummer.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 to 16 ounces fresh Romano beans (Italian flat beans; see Note)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 12 to 16 ounces flavorful ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 3 cups cooked or two 15-ounce cans (drained and rinsed) cannellini beans
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Trim the tips from the Romano beans and cut longer ones in half.
2. Heat half of the oil in a stir-fry pan or wide skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two, until it starts to turn golden.
3. Add the Romano beans and a couple of tablespoons of water and sauté, stirring, until barely tender-crisp. This will take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the size and amount of the Romano beans. Keep your eyes on them!
4. Add the remaining ingredients along with the remaining olive oil and continue to sauté just until everything is nicely heated through and the Romano beans are just on the other side of tender-crisp. Don’t overcook!
5. Serve at once, straight from the pan.

Notes

You can swap in regular green beans, prepared in the same way, for the Romano beans.

Variations:

• To make this a heftier dish, serve over hot cooked grains — rice, farro, or quinoa.
• Use pink beans in place of cannellini.

Here are lots more plant-forward salads & sides.