Italian flat beans, also known as Roman beans, are thin and crisp with occasional prickly protrusions. They can be steamed, stir-fried, braised, or served as a salad, but should not be overcooked. Look for brightly colored specimens and avoid beans with brown or purple discoloration, dark areas, or fuzzy white mold. They perform poorly when cooked for long periods of time and are best cooked until they lose their raw flavor.
Italian flat beans are also called Roman beans and are broad, flattened versions of the more common mung bean. The best Romano beans are bright green and crisp, with no soft spots or discoloration. Originally from Italy, this bean is grown and eaten in many other parts of the world. It can be steamed, stir-fried, braised, or served as a salad, but it should never be overcooked.
This type of bean is also known as Italian string bean, although most specimens have only a vestigial string. Flat beans grow 13 to 15 cm long (about 13-15 cm) and are about 0.5 cm (1 cm) wide. Unlike conventional green beans, they are very thin, with occasional prickly protrusions on one side, where immature seeds grow inside the pod. Some unusual varieties may have yellow or purplish pods.
The best Italian flat beans are fresh and crunchy, free from mushrooms, and don’t bend easily without breaking. For this reason, the group of beans they belong to is sometimes called a snap bean. Look for brightly colored specimens and avoid beans with brown or purple discoloration, dark areas, or fuzzy white mold. Older Roman beans may turn a slightly darker green and develop a wrinkled skin, with a softer, more pliable texture that makes them only suitable for soups and stews.
Italian cooks often braise these beans with tomatoes and meats, such as pancetta or pancetta, or combine them with eggplant and capers in a caponata. They also work well when steamed until tender or microwaved. The best Italian flat beans will be colored when cooked properly and provide some bite resistance. Pre-cooked, refrigerated beans can be drizzled with garlic, olive oil, or vinaigrette dressed as a salad or parboiled, then sauteed and topped with oil or soy sauce, grated cheese, and other flavorful ingredients. Toasting flat beans with oil caramelizes the outside of their pods, producing a sweet, appealing taste.
These beans perform poorly when cooked for long periods of time, losing their color and becoming mushy and relatively tasteless. Whenever possible, cook Italian flat beans only until they lose their raw flavor; the beans shouldn’t be stringy or tough. Reserve a longer cook for older beans which won’t provide a crisp, fresh flavor.
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