Wine-Braised Romano Beans with Anchovy

“Hopefully each time I say, ‘This is one of the best-tasting things in the book,’ it doesn’t come off as disingenuous because I’d like to say it again, here and now,” writes cookbook author Alison Roman regarding her newest tome of recipes, Something from Nothing. “I rely on anchovies a great deal for lots of things, but it’s remarkable how differently they show up each time I reach for a little tin or jar. Here, they take a back seat to the acidity of the wine but provide an undeniable savoriness that can’t easily be replaced (and that you’d miss if it weren’t there). White wine, garlic, and anchovy are an obviously delightful combination, especially when used as the cooking liquid to braise something like a romano bean, simultaneously being absorbed by the vegetables, seasoning them from the inside out, and giving them a little saucy something to sit in.”

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) olive oil, plus more
  • 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 8 to 10 oil-packed anchovy fillets
  • Good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb. (625 to 750 g) romano beans, green beans or yellow wax beans, stems trimmed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) dry, acidic white wine

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided pot, Dutch oven, or a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until toasted and nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the anchovies and stir to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. (Using a wooden spoon or tongs to smash them into the oil can be helpful if they need it.) Add the red pepper flakes and let them bloom in the hot oil for a few seconds.

Add the beans and, using tongs, toss them in the anchovy oil. Season with salt and pepper. They’ll be really stiff and inflexible to start but give them time and they’ll start to soften and bend, making them easy to periodically stir and toss.

Add the wine and stir to coat. Once the wine comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium. The fun part of cooking beans this way is that you get to decide the texture. If you like them on the al dente side with a bit of a brothy situation, you’ll cook them for 10 to 15 minutes. If you prefer a bean that is saucier, softer and falling apart, cook for 25 to 30 minutes. If you’ve never cooked beans this way before, just taste one periodically. They can be eaten raw, so there’s no danger in sampling early on.

Season again with salt and pepper and transfer to a large plate or bowl, making sure to get all the sauce spooned over. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and give a grind or two of pepper before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

NOTE

While you can do these in a skillet, a Dutch oven or high-sided pot is preferred. It will always look like too many beans, but they do eventually shrink as they soften and wilt. Giving them enough space in a larger pot prevents them from prematurely breaking, ensuring they stay as intended: a wild mess of long, entangled beans.

DO AHEAD

These beans will keep for several days in the fridge. You can reheat them gently when ready to serve, but they’re also great cold, room temperature for a picnic, or sun-warmed at the beach.

Adapted from Something from Nothing by Alison Roman (Clarkson Potter, 2025)