romano bean & tomato bruschetta

Romano beans, sometimes called Italian green beans or  flat beans, look like a wide green bean but they need to be cooked much longer than green beans for their true glory to emerge. I love braising them, but then I had a starter at Pizzetta 211 in San Francisco that featured roasted Romanos, which creates a sweeter, more intense flavor. Boom. I borrowed the idea for a starter of my own.

ingredients

6 large Roma tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
kosher or sea salt
1 pound Romano beans
1 loaf rustic Italian bread
2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced in half
4 ounces pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
chopped Italian parsley or basil for garnish, optional

directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut tomatoes in quarters lengthwise, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. Place on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in oven for 15 minutes.

While tomatoes are roasting, trim Romano beans then toss with olive oil and  salt to taste; spread on another baking sheet. After tomatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, add Romano beans to oven and roast until beans are tinged with brown and tomatoes are soft, chewy, and browned in spots, about 30 minutes.

While beans and tomatoes are roasting, cut bread into 24 half-inch-thick slices (reserve any extra bread for another use). Place bread slices on a baking sheet and brush tops with olive oil. When vegetables are done, remove from oven on and set aside to cool slightly. Toast bread in oven until golden bown, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and, while still hot, rub cut garlic over oiled sides of bread. Divide roasted beans in equal portions among bread slices then top each one with a roasted tomato quarter. With a vegetable peeler, scrape shards of the cheese over each bruschetta and, if desired, sprinkle with chopped parsley or basil. Serve warm.