- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place serrano pepper and tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil. Roast in oven until skins are black and blistered, about 50–55 minutes.
- In Saucy, sweat the onions in olive oil with a generous pinch of salt on medium-low heat until they are lightly caramelized, about 10–15 minutes (make sure they don’t burn!).
- Add garlic and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Once the garlic is cooked, add coriander, tomatoes, serrano pepper, and salt.
- Bring to a simmer, then lower heat. Cook for 40–45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are completely broken down and the sauce is one smooth texture. If the sauce remains too thick, you can quickly pulse it in a food processor or with a handheld blender until smooth.
- In Deep Cut, on medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil, beans, salt, and black pepper.
- Cook the beans for 7–10 minutes, or until softened, then add the sauce to the pan. Toss beans in sauce for a minute, and finish with lemon juice.
- Transfer the beans to a serving plate and drizzle with olive oil, finishing salt, and coarse black pepper.
This dish actually reminds me of my mom's best friend, who's this amazing Lebanese cook. You can serve this lukewarm with an ample amount of olive oil. Growing up, we made it with canned tomato sauce, but, when I moved to California, I started making it with fresh tomatoes. It’s hearty and filling but also fresh and complex. Wait for the meat of the tomato to really break down before you touch it further.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (approx. 2 c.)
- 5 cloves crushed garlic (approx. 5 tbsp)
- 1 serrano pepper, finely diced
- 10–12 medium ripe Roma tomatoes (approx. 5 c.)
- 1/3 c. plus 3 tbsp good olive oil
- 1 tbsp coriander, toasted and ground
- Juice of 1 lemon (approx. 2 tbsp)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 c. green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 c. yellow wax beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 c. romano beans, trimmed and cut in half
- Olive oil
Photos by Noah Fecks.