Grilled Tomato Sauce
Grilling the tomatoes and roasting the red pepper gives this sauce an underlying flavor that I really like. I tend to double this recipe and freeze what I don’t need. I’m always glad to have this sauce on hand. It’s best to grill tomatoes over charcoal or a wood fire that’s about 30 minutes past its hottest point. I like to use a plancha but you can use a cast-iron pan or grill the tomatoes directly on the grill rack.
Grilled Tomato Sauce Makes: 3 1/2 cups
3 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes
1 large red bell pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, preferably gray salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Core the tomatoes and cut an X through the skin on the bottom of each. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes and bell pepper with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Place the tomatoes on the grill, X-side up and away from direct heat, with the red pepper. Cover the grill and cook, turning the bell pepper to char evenly all over. Cook the tomatoes for 8 to 10 minutes. When the bell pepper’s skin is blistered and blackened all the way around (about 15 minutes), put the pepper in a bowl and cover to steam and loosen the skin. Take the tomatoes off the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Peel the grilled vegetables. Halve the tomatoes horizontally and squeeze out the seeds into a sieve suspended over a bowl to catch the juices. Finely chop the tomatoes. Return the tomato pulp and any juices from the chopping board to the bowl holding the tomato juices.
Seed the bell pepper and slice off the ribs; discard the seeds and ribs. Finely dice the bell pepper; set aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast-iron skillet (if you’re cooking at the grill) or in a large sauté pan (if you’re working at your stove) over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and stir. Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper and simmer for another minute. Add the vinegar. Season to taste with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and finish with parsley.
Keep warm until ready to serve or let cool, cover, and refrigerate. Store this in an airtight container in your fridge for 4 to 5 days or in your freezer for up to 2 months.