Green Bean and Mozzarella Salad

I got to thinking about insalata caprese today, but wasn't quite in the mood for tomatoes. This salad leans slightly more in the direction of France than Italy, because of the shallots (green beans' best friend) and because the only fresh herb I had on hand was parsley, but it turned out to be delicious. The hot, crunchy green beans are a good match for cool soft mozzarella.

Green Bean and Mozzarella Salad

2 medium shallots, sliced very thin
1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, torn into small pieces
about 3 oz. fresh whole-milk mozzarella, cut into small pieces
about 1/4 cup dry white wine
olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice from one small lemon wedge
salt, pepper

In a large bowl, mix the mozzarella and parsley. In a small saucepan, saute the shallots over medium-low heat in olive oil just until they begin to color, about 5 minutes. Be careful, because they will burn fast. Add a splash of white wine and turn the heat to low. Watch the pan; when the wine boils away, add another small splash. When the wine has evaporated, take the pan off the heat. Meanwhile, make sure the green beans still have some water on them from when you washed them. Saute the green beans in a little olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until they begin to be tender and the skin begins to blister, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat; season with a lot of black pepper and salt to taste. Add the shallots to the bowl with the mozzarella and parsley, then add the green beans. Season with lemon juice and about 1 tsp olive oil. Toss and serve immediately while the beans are still hot.

Serves 2.