Step 1

Snap off the ends of the green beans and discard. Pull out the string from the spine of green beans and break them in half if the beans are too long. Wash and drain the trimmed beans in a colander.

Step 2

In a large pot, heat half of the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions until they soften. Add potatoes and garlic and season well with oregano, salt and pepper and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Step 3

Add the tomato paste and scrape around the edges of the pot. Then, add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chili flakes, a pinch of sugar, the remaining olive oil, and water (fill up the cans with some water to get all the sauce)!  Stir in the green beans.

Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly off and simmer for approximately 1-1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally throughout and checking for your taste preference.

Step 4

Check the pot. The beans and potatoes should be tender and a sauce should have formed. If you like a thicker sauce, remove the lid entirely so excess liquid evaporates. You can low-heat simmer this dish for hours. If you want more sauce, add more olive oil or water.

Step 5

Once satisfied, stir in the parsley if desired. Serve warm with bread, or feta if you are not fasting from dairy.