Recipe: String Bean Salad with Ricotta Salata and Lemon

STRING BEAN SALAD WITH RICOTTA SALATA AND LEMON

"The summer that my husband and I started dating, I wooed him with the bumper crop of beans - green, purple, and yellow - from my small garden. We enjoyed them in this salad and in other guises all summer long and, twenty years later, we still do."

1/2 lb yellow (wax) beans, stem ends removed
1/2 lb green beans, stem ends removed
1 large ripe tomato, cut into bite-size chunks
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon-infused olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 fresh basil leaves, preferably 4 green and 4 purple, finely shredded
2 tablespoons crumbled ricotta salata cheese

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan and fill the pan with water up to but not touching the bottom of the basket. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

Add the beans to the basket, cover, and steam until just tender-crisp, 4-5 minutes. The green beans should be bright green.

Transfer the beans to a large salad bowl. Add the tomato, sprinkle with the olive oil and lemon zest, and toss to mix. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, a small grinding of pepper, the basil ribbons, and the cheese, toss again, and serve.

Wine Suggestion: Pinot Grigio, the crisp and acidic white from Alto Adige

Adapted from source: Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian, Recipes by Domenica Marchetti