A summer side with main dish energy, these broiler-blistered, extra-long and wide green beans may become your favorite way to show off a vegetable. Romano beans, also known as Italian flat beans, are technically in the same family as your run-of-the-mill string bean, but much larger and almost meaty-tender in texture than their skinny counterparts. At the height of their season Romano beans can grow to be more than 8 inches long, making quite a spectacle when plopped on the dinner table. They’re available at the farmers market throughout the summer, and at some specialty grocery stores year round; that said, any summer bean, from slender haricots verts to fat green beans to light yellow wax beans, will work here—just keep an eye on timing for smaller varieties.
Cook the beans quickly under the broiler to lightly char their skin, rendering the flesh tender with a little bite. As soon as they come off the heat, toss with a spicy, garlicky butter; serve alongside your go-to summer protein.
Read More: The 2026 Farmers Market Challenge
If you like these beans, you may enjoy Romano Beans With Mustard Vinaigrette and Walnuts, Summer Beans With Miso Butter, or Charred Snap Beans With Whole Lemon Dressing and Mozzarella.
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in upper third of oven; heat broiler. Stir together 1 garlic clove, finely grated, 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 tsp. chopped oil-packed Calabrian chiles, and a pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl. Set garlic-chile butter aside.
Step 2
Place 1 lb. Romano beans or other snap beans (such as haricots verts, green, and/or wax), trimmed, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil and sprinkle with ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; toss to coat.
Step 3
Spread out beans evenly and broil until blistered in spots, 5–9 minutes (cook time will vary greatly by broiler strength and bean size, so keep an eye on them). Remove from broiler; spoon 2 Tbsp. garlic-chile butter over beans and toss to melt butter and coat beans.
Step 4
Transfer beans to a platter and top with remaining garlic-chile butter. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
