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Tomatoey Green Beans with Giant Couscous

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This dish is loosely inspired by fasolakia, a Greek dish made of tender green beans, stewed with tomatoes, garlic and lots and lots of extra-virgin olive oil, among other things. I like my green beans on the crisper side, so instead of braising them, I’ve cooked them until just tender and finished them in a very flavourful fresh tomato sauce. Served over giant couscous and topped with lots of parmesan, it makes for a very delicious veggie dish.

Feel free to substitute the giant couscous for pasta, rice, potatoes or even bread – the tomatoey green beans pair beautifully with them all.

  • Author: zenak
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 300g green beans, trimmed
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp double concentrated tomato purée
  • 200g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
  • 75ml water
  • 300g giant couscous
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 30g parmigiano reggiano, grated (or more, to your liking)

Instructions

  1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just tender, then drain.
  2. Place a handful of ice cubes into a large bowl and top with water, then tansfer the green beans to the ice bath – this will help retain their colour and stop them from overcooking.
  3. Heat a generous splash of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium sauté pan set over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened but not browned.
  4. Add the garlic and dried oregano and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute, then add the double concentrated tomato purée and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until it begins to darken.
  5. Add the cherry tomatoes, season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the tomatoey oil. Add the water, cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to burst.
  6. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush half of the tomatoes to help create a sauce, then cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until a chunky, thickened sauce forms, around 10 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, boil the giant couscous according to the package instructions then drain. Season with salt and pepper and toss with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, to prevent it getting sticky.
  8. Add the green beans to the sauce, toss to coat and cover. Cook for a final 5 minutes, then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir through the fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  9. To assemble, pile the giant couscous onto a large plate and top with the green beans. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and lots of grated parmesan, then serve and enjoy.

Find it online: https://zenaskitchen.com/green-beans-in-tomato-sauce/

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