GREEN BEANS WITH LEMON, GARLIC, AND PARMIGIANO GREMOLATA
BEANS
- Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed
- Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
- ½ cup water
- Shredded zest of 1 large lemon (organic preferred; after all, you are eating the entire rind)
- ½ tight-packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 3 large garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- ½ cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions:
A mince of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley, gremolata is the traditional final tease of Milan’s osso buco.
- Lightly film the bottom of a straight-sided 12-inch sauté pan with the oil. Heat it over medium-high heat. Add the beans and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the water, immediately cover the pan, and turn the heat to medium low. Cook the beans for 15 to 20 minutes, checking them often for burning and adding a little water if necessary. You want the beans to become very tender.
- As soon as the beans are covered, make the gremolata: In a food processor, mince together the lemon zest, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir half of the mixture into the cooking beans. Blend the rest of the gremolata into the grated cheese.
- When the beans are tender, uncover them, cook off any liquid in the pan, and turn them into a serving bowl.
- Toss the beans with the cheese-gremolata mixture.