- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil – plus more for drizzling if desired
- 1 large onion – quartered and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic – chopped
- 1 pound green beans – trimmed and halved crosswise
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar – or to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges
Prepare an ice bath. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a small “X” in the bottom of the skin of each tomato with a sharp paring knife. Blanch the tomatoes by immersing them in the boiling water for 20-30 seconds or until you can see the skin begin to curl and peel away. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to the ice bath to stop the tomatoes from cooking. Drain, peel, seed as best you can and chop. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin softening up, approximately 5-6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to break down, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the green beans, water and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the beans are very tender, approximately 45 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Add sugar. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.