Roma e Roma →

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Roma pole beans are hands-down my favorite pole bean. Flavorful, tender, meaty, and stringless these large, Italian-originated flat beans are a great alternative to traditional string beans. If you don’t grow them yourself, Romas are mainly sold at farmers’ markets which makes them a seasonal delicacy here in the Happy Valley. Eat Romas raw, braised, or steam them to crisp-tender and sauté them briefly in olive oil, sliced garlic, hot pepper flakes, and pancetta or (if you’re lucky enough to find it) more flavorful guanciale. For this quick and easy flavorful recipe, I use guanciale sourced from my local Italian butcheria. Guanciale comes from the pork jowl and is fattier than pancetta which comes from the belly. Pancetta is meatier and is cured with salt and pepper; it cooks up crispy like bacon without the smokey flavor. Guanciale is cured with salt and pepper and a variety of spices including sage, rosemary, and garlic. Guanciale melts into your sauces adding unique richness to the sauce. If you can find guanciale, I strongly recommend it for this recipe, but if you use pancetta you will still be delighted with the flavor it adds to the raw tomato sauce and Romas. Buon appetito!

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Roma e Roma
Serves 4 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2-pound Roma pole beans (stems removed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces)

  • 1/2-ounce guanciale or pancetta (about 2 tablespoons thinly sliced and diced)

  • 2-3 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

  • 1/4 cup of water

  • 3 small Roma tomatoes (about ¾-1 cup chopped)

  • pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Preparation:

  1. In a large heavy bottom pan or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

  2. Add the guanciale and sauté for a minute or two; add the garlic until it begins to sizzle, add the pepper flakes and stir until the garlic just begins to brown.

  3. Add the Romas and sauté stirring for about two minutes to coat the beans with guanciale-garlic infused oil.

  4. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pot and cover and steam for a few minutes until almost all the water has evaporated.

  5. Add the vinegar and stir until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped tomatoes. The juices from the tomatoes will deglaze the pan and create a delicious chunky raw tomato sauce.

  6. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.