Italian Style Green Beans

Italian Style Green Beans

Italian style green beans, or in Italy, fagiolini in padella. This tasty vegetable dish is an excellent side for any meal, not just Italian main courses. It is very tasty and easy to prepare, and also looks great on the dinner plate. The fresh green beans are prepared al dente and retain their crispness. The predominant flavors that come out in this recipe are the garlic and the mint. I usually reduce or eliminate the mint altogether, because I love garlic and grean beans.

Although this recipe stands well as written, you can play with it a little. I often mix together equal parts asparagus spears, sliced mushrooms and green beans in place of just the beans. I also usually throw in a couple more garlic cloves, depending on their size. I would like to caution anyone trying this green bean recipe to keep a close eye on the pan once you add the onion, garlic, chili flakes and mint. From experience, it’s easy to burn these ingredients while you cook the beans.

Please try this tasty recipe, and I think that you will agree that these green beans are an excellent compliment to any first course.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small red onion, cut into thin slices

1 teaspoon dried chile flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

1 pound fresh green beans, tops and tails removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until just smoking.

2. Add the onion, garlic, chile flakes, and mint and cook 1 minute; be careful not to burn.

3. Add fresh green beans, toss to mix well and cook until beans are soft, about 15 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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