When it comes to Italian cuisine, simplicity and freshness are at the heart of every dish. By steaming these delightful Italian string beans to retain their vibrant color and crunchiness, and then drizzling them with luscious olive oil, and seasoning with a touch of salt and pepper, we’ll create a side dish that embodies the essence of Italian cooking – a celebration of flavors in their purest form.

Check out how I made these in my Youtube video below!

Quick Resources

The Story of the Greasy School Lunch Bag
Tips for Steaming the Perfect String Bean
Italian String Beans vs Haricot Verts

The Perfect Steamed Italian String Beans

Tender, crisp, and perfect as a summer side dish!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  

• Italian string beans these are flat in nature, and can be found in farmer's markets, vegetable stands, and are easy to grow in a backyard garden!
• extra virgin olive oil
• Himalayan Salt
• ground black pepper
• lemon wedges for squeezing

Instructions

 

• Carefully cut off the ends of the string beans.
• Toss the cleaned string beans into a large pan and drizzle 1/2 cup of water on the bottom.
• Cover tightly with a lid, and heat over medium heat.
• Once the water starts to boil, lower the heat and toss the beans often.
• After 10 minutes, the beans should be tender but still have a bite. Cook to yoru desired doneness.
• Drain the beans and arrange on a platter. Season with salt, pepper, drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon.
• Serve alongside any meal!

Keyword how to cook italian string beans, how to steam string beans, italian string beans, steamed string beans

The Story of The Greasy School Lunch Bag

My mother used to save the brown bags that she carried from the deli. Those were our lunch bags. Apparently, no re-useable, cute-sy lunch bag was big enough to fit the amount of food she deemed was enough to feed us. In the brown bag was usually a sandwich of some sort or several tupperwares (aka – old food containers that were washed for this specific purpose).

Oftentimes, the tremendous amount of olive oil that coated our food would seep out of the containers and create splotchy, slick grease spots on our brown paper lunch bags. Carrying around a tub of these Italian green beans would almost always lead to this unfortunate event. And yet…as much as it would pain us to haul these greasy bags around, we always left our lunch period full and sated.

The point of this story? Good food is meant to be eaten, even if you have to take it with you, greasy bag and all.

Tips for Cooking the Perfect String Bean

• The journey to perfection begins with selecting the finest ingredients. Opt for fresh Italian string beans that are firm, crisp, and free from any signs of wilting or discoloration. Visiting your local farmers’ market or specialty grocery store (or growing your own!) is a great way to find top-quality string beans.

• Wash the Italian string beans thoroughly under cold running water, and then remove the stems and any tough ends. Keeping the beans whole preserves their natural appearance and allows them to cook evenly.

• Steaming is a gentle cooking method that ensures the string beans retain their nutrients and vibrant green color. Use a pan with a tight fitting lid. I personally don’t care about the beans touching the water, but you may wish to use a basket steamer if you prefer.

• Select a high-quality extra virgin olive oil to drizzle generously over the string beans. Use Himalayan Pink Salt for a more subtle yet salty finish.

What do you think? Share your thoughts below!

Congratulations on mastering the art of cooking the perfect Italian string beans! By steaming them to maintain their vibrant color and crunch, and then drizzling them with luxurious olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, you’ve unlocked the secret to an authentic Italian side dish. The simplicity of this preparation allows the true essence of the string beans to shine, embodying the heart of Italian cooking. Treat your taste buds to this delightful dish, and experience the flavors of Italy in your own kitchen.

Let us know your experience with cooking and enjoying Italian string beans (or any string beans of that matter!) Share your tips and tricks with us so we can all do better with this delicious veggie.