We ran out of spaghetti sauce one night (you know, the tomato-based stuff in a jar) so we came up with this healthy alternative on the fly.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• 1 Package of Spaghetti Pasta
• 2 Vine Ripe Tomatoes
• 2 cups of Fresh Green Beans
• 2-4 large Cloves of Garlic
• 1/4 cup Freshly Chopped Basil
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Freshly Grated Romano Cheese
• salt (not too much, as the cheese has enough salt for flavoring)
• pepper

In a large pot used for cooking pasta, start boiling water. In the mean time, wash the green beans, then cut the ends off. You can even cut them in half, which makes them cook faster and easier to eat.

Once the water is boiling, toss the green beans in to blanch them for about 5 minutes. This will tenderize them and give them a little hint of a sweetened flavor. When they’re done blanching, remove them from the pot, place them in a boil, and run them under cold water for a minute or two.

Place spaghetti pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente, or firm to the bite. Remove from water and drain pasta. Throw away pasta water (or set aside in a container; you can use this for your plants). You can also set aside a few tablespoons to add to the olive oil and garlic mixture in the following steps, if you like.

On a cutting board, slice tomatoes in half, then slice each half into quarters or thinner. Set tomatoes aside. Remove skin from garlic, dice, and set aside. Wash and pat dry basil. Roll up the leaves and then cut into thin strips or ribbons.

Next, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add half the olive oil when pan is hot. Make sure the green beans are dry, then add them to the oil. Stir for about a minute then add the garlic. Add salt and pepper to season. Lower the heat to medium low. Cook for another minute, but don’t let the garlic brown. Reduce the heat more, if you must.

Toss in the tomatoes and half of the basil. Mix in the rest of the olive oil. If you saved any of the pasta water, you can add it at this point. It will help thicken up the sauce a bit, if you like. Turn off heat.

Now, you can mix everything with the pasta (in the pot used to cook the pasta) or you can plate the spaghetti first and spoon the mixture over it. It’s your choice. But don’t forget to top with freshly grated romano cheese. And please garnish it with the other half of the fresh basil. You’ll enjoy that extra burst of flavor with each bite!