Buca Di Beppo Green Beans

Cooks4_6's Note:

Yummy and Easy Recipe from Minneapolis St. Paul magazine Note: Using fresh beans and keeping them crisp during the prep are critical for this simple recipe to work

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 medium lemons (juice)
• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the green beans by clipping off the stem end.
2. Melt the butter in a sauté pan on low heat. Squeeze the juice out of two medium-size lemons. Strain the pulp and the seeds out of the lemon juice.
3. When butter is melted, carefully add the lemon juice to the pan.
4. Raise the temperature to medium and reduce until the lemon juice and butter become a sauce. Do not brown the butter.
5. Place the clipped, fresh green beans in boiling water for two to three minutes. Do not overcook. The green beans should remain crisp.
6. Strain the green beans and add to the sauce in the sauté pan. Toss the green beans in the sauce and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[charlie #5]

Loved these. Had unexpected guests for dinner last night and was searching for a second vegetable to serve and stretch the meal. Didn't have fresh or frozen green beans, but did have cans of green beans. Not ideal, but they worked out just fine. I'm sure the fresh beans would have been divine. One of my teen daughters said "These beans are strange." I thought "Nice to say in front of our guests." However, she did go back for seconds! Used fresh lemons and we loved the tartness. Think it would be nice with a little toasted almond slivers to garnish.

[Gatorbek]

Oh my... We really wanted to like this, and I was excited to try it as we enjoy Buca but don't have one nearby. I've never ordered this recipe, though. Unfortunately, it was SO tart that DH couldn't eat it. My usual favorite recipe for green beans uses fresh lemon and dill, but this was still too tart for me, too. I only used the juice from 1 1/2 lemons, too - fresh, not concentrate. Maybe my lemons were too tart, but this just didn't quite do it for us.

[TeresaS]

Boy, is this tart! Very easy to prepare. I have never had this at Buca Di Beppo before, so not sure if this is how it's suppose to taste. Really great and different. Thanks for posting.