The food that I remember most fondly from my Nonni’s table is her green beans. My Nonni was an always perfectly dressed and coifed woman who wore her high heels every day, until the very end in her nineties! We went to her apartment in Yonkers often for Sunday dinners. We would absolutely gorge ourselves at dinner and then the kids would fall asleep on her plastic covered couch while she prepared coffee for dessert.

Her string beans were almost always at our Sunday dinners, bright green with Pecorino Romano. Simple and perfect. I make these right before sitting at the table, as soon as your water is boiling you are 6 minutes to the table. If you are not a fan of green beans you could use broccoli florets or oblique cut carrots. I often change plans if something amazing is at the farmer’s market!

Equipment:
Large stock pot
Tongs
Serving bowl

Ingredients:
1lb. organic French beans
2 T grass-fed butter
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. In a large stock pot bring salted water to a rolling boil. Place the butter in the serving bowl.
2. Place the beans in the boiling salted water and cook until almost done, just under 5 minutes.
3. Using the tongs place the beans in the serving bowl and toss with the butter.
4. Season to taste with freshly grated Pecorino Romano, salt and pepper and toss again. Enjoy!

If you want to keep it vegan you can swap extra virgin olive oil for the butter and nutritional yeast for the Pecorino Romano.

I wish I had paid more attention to what my Nonni was doing in her tiny apartment kitchen so I could share more of her incredible cooking. If I come upon more of her recipes I will be posting them, I only have a few in my possession!

Do you have any family food recipes to share? I would love to try some old school family recipes, simple or complex!