Spicy beans a perfect summer send-off
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup anchovy paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 limes, halved
Bring 8 quarts of water to a boil in a large pasta pot. Set up a large ice bath nearby.
Trim the beans and cut them into 3-inch lengths.
When the water comes to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt.
Drop the beans into the water and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to the ice bath. When they have cooled, drain the beans and set them aside in a colander.
In a 14-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until just smoking. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and anchovy paste. Reduce the heat to medium-high, and stir until the onions have begun to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the beans and cook 3 to 4 minutes until they are hot and coated with the anchovy sauce. Season with salt and black pepper. Squeeze the limes over the beans; place the beans on a warmed platter and serve.
(Mario Batali is the award-winning chef behind twenty-five restaurants including Eataly, Del Posto, and his flagship Greenwich Village enoteca, Babbo.)
