Kan Shao Italiano
Diane has a great recipe for string beans. (Jan 5, no permalink, so I'll quote the whole recipe)
Toss a pound of trimmed string beans with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and some kosher salt. Spread the beans on a cookie sheet and roast them at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. While they're cooking, saute a quarter-pound of diced prosciutto in a little oil until it's crispy and put it aside. Then saute 3 minced cloves of garlic, a thinly sliced red onion, and one or two finely chopped anchovies until the onion begins to carmelize. Toss the string beans and the onion mixture in a large bowl with a big tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, then stir in the prosciutto and a half-cup of chopped basil. Add salt & pepper if you want. Serve warm.
One interesting thing is sauteed prosciutto, which is new to me and very tasty. In the old days, was this pancetta? Perhaps it's a general substitution for lower fat cooking?
Another interesting thing: compare this to the Szechuan standby, Kan Shao string beans. Garlic, beans, pork, vinegar. Same same. OK: szechuan peppers out, basil in. Interesting....