Nonna's Green Beans Recipe With Prosciutto From the Crazy Cousin by Donna John

Both of my mom's brothers married Italian women. We're talking 100-percent Italian. While my Polish grandma could outcook anyone, I was always a little jealous hearing about the Italian dishes my cousins ate when with the other side of the family. Sunday gravy, Italian meatballs, lasagna and other authentic Italian meals could never be matched when cooked in a kitchen full of Italian women! This easy Italian green beans recipe is one that was shared with me and is so simple even a non-Italian can make it!

These green beans are loaded with flavor thanks to prosciutto, garlic and sage. To make this green bean side dish you will need fresh green beans, onion, olive oil, prosciutto, garlic and dried sage. The green beans are boiled for just a few minutes until crisp-tender. After the prosciutto is crisped up and the garlic and onion softened, the green beans and sage join in to marry into a tasty side dish.

Serve these Italian-style green beans with chicken, pork, beef, pasta (of course!), lamb or seafood.

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Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 2 ounces prosciutto, cut into a small dice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon dried sage

Helpful Products

• Garlic Press
• Pepper Grinder
• Colander
• Wooden Spoon
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Measuring Spoons
• Skillet
• Salt and Pepper
• Airtight Containers

Recipe Notes

• You could add 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts to the green beans before serving for some crunch and added flavor.

• For more garlic flavor, use a garlic press.

• Sometimes I like to stir some chopped tomato into the green beans.

• You can leave the green beans whole or cut them in half.

• For a little heat stir in some crushed red pepper flakes.

• Instead of prosciutto you could use serrano ham, deli ham or thick-cut bacon. 

Here's how to make it: 

1. Boil the green beans in a pot of water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside. 
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the green beans, garlic, sage and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring often, about 4 minutes. 
4. Stir the prosciutto into the green beans and serve. 

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 272

Total Fat: 26g

Saturated Fat: 4.6g

Cholesterol: 6mg

Sodium: 164mg

Total Carbohydrate: 11g

Dietary Fiber: 6.2g

Total Sugars: 1.1g

Protein: 4.3g

Vitamin D: 0mcg

Calcium: 221mg

Iron: 4mg

Potassium: 210mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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