- For the topping:
- all-purpose flour
- panko bread crumbs
- kosher salt
- Nonstick cooking spray
- For beans and sauce:
- unsalted butter
- freshly ground black pepper
- freshly ground nutmeg
- all-purpose flour
- chicken broth
- half-and-half
This dish has been done before, but I break with tradition by adding cinnamon. Sam and Sam Clark, of Moro restaurant, introduced me to the rather wonderful combination of green beans and cinnamon, describing it as “naturally perfect.” They served green beans with a walnut and cinnamon tarator. The recipe below would be lovely with walnuts, too – but here it is without.
- gemelli
- green beans
- heavy cream
- ground cinnamon
- garlic clove
- vegetable or olive oil
- ground pork
- green beans
- chicken or vegetable stock
- white or yellow miso paste
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- chile garlic paste
- hoisin sauce
You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto. (It’s pesto without the pine nuts.) A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, provides great depth of flavor without additional fat. On a hot summer day in Italy, the soup might be served at room temperature or just barely warm.
Advance preparation: The soup can be made through step 2 a day or two ahead. It improves overnight. If you’re making the soup ahead, cook the pasta separately and add to the soup, along with the green beans on the day you are serving it.
- olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish