Green Beans With Lemon, Garlic & Parmigiano Gremolata - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Beans
good tasting extra virgin olive oil
3 lbs green beans, stem ends trimmed
salt and fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup water
Gremolata
5 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup water
2 shredded large lemons, zest of (organic preferred, after all, you are eating the entire rind)
1 cup Italian parsley, leaves tightly packed
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups coarsely-grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Lightly film the bottom of 2 straight-sided 12-inch saute pans with oil. Heat them over medium-high heat. Add the beans and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper, and saute for 2 minutes, or until the beans begin to brown. Add 1/2 cup of water to each pan and immediately cover it. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the beans for 15 to 20 minutes, checking them often for burning and adding a little water if necessary. You want the beans very tender.
As the beans cook, make the gremolata. Put the garlic and 1/3 cup water in a coffee mug and microwave 1 minute, or simmer in a small saucepan to 1 to 2 minutes (this mellows the garlic just a little). Then, in a food processor, mince together the garlic (with its liquid), lemon zest, and parsley. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.
When the beans are tender, uncover them, cook off any liquid in the pan, and turn them into a serving bowl. Toss the beans with the gremolata and the grated cheese.