Green Bean and Tomato Sauté

When I was younger, I remember eating green beans in a tomato sauce at friends and families homes. I loved the dish, but then forgot about it for years. Out of the blue, and after running across the recipe accidentally, I decided to try finding a recipe that sounded similar to what I remembered. This one was the closest bet, and the result was pretty perfect.

This recipe is really simple, but takes a little while to cook. It's a good one to put together when you get home and then get started on the rest of your meal. This makes a great side dish to just about anything. I served this with grilled chicken and fresh bread and ended up with leftovers. It will still be great the next day as well, so you could either prepare it ahead of time or have some delicious leftovers.

Recipe from TheShiksa.com

2 pounds of green beans, trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper

Cut your green beans into 2 to 2 1/2 inch pieces. In a large sauté pan or pot over medium heat warm the oil. When hot, add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the green beans and sauté another 5 minutes, mixing occasionally, until they are warm and begin to lighten in color.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and oregano to the pan and mix. Add enough water to the pan so that the green beans are 80% covered. Add the sugar to the pan along with salt and pepper. About 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well and bring the water to boil. Once boiling for 2 minutes, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.

Cook the green beans anywhere for 20 to 50 minutes. For crispy beans, 20 minutes and for really soft beans, 50 minutes. I cooked mine for 30 minutes and thought they were great. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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