Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Romano beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
3 cups peeled and diced tomatoes and their juices; preferably fresh Romas from market
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 basil leaves

Method

• Bring a medium pot of water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add cut beans and boil for five minutes. Drain and set aside. 
• Over medium heat, heat oil in a large sauté pan, add garlic and once fragrant (about a minute; be sure not to brown) add optional chili flakes and the tomatoes.  Cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down. Add the cooked beans, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and stir to combine. Cook another 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are considerably reduced. Season with freshly grated black pepper and more salt, if need. Turn off heat. 
• Cut the basil into a chiffonade (stack the leaves, roll them tightly,  and cut into very thin strips) and stir into tomato/bean stew. The leaves will darken pretty quickly, so if not serving immediately, and you want a pop of color, you can add more basil right before serving.