Grilled Tomato Sauce

Grilled Tomato Sauce
Grilled Tomato Sauce
Editor's note: Serve this sauce with Michael Chiarello's Grilled Pasta with Grilled Meatballs . 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.
  • Preparing Time: -
  • Total Time: -
  • Served Person: Makes about 3 1/2 cups
Onion Tomato Backyard BBQ Bell Pepper Summer Grill Grill/Barbecue
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, preferably gray salt
  • Carbohydrate 12 g(4%)
  • Fat 8 g(13%)
  • Fiber 4 g(15%)
  • Protein 2 g(5%)
  • Saturated Fat 1 g(6%)
  • Sodium 595 mg(25%)
  • Calories 125

Preparation Core each tomato and cut an X in it's base. 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 hot 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. Reprinted with permission from Michael Chiarello's Live Fire by Michael Chiarello with Ann Krueger Spivack and Claudia Sansone, © 2013 Chronicle Books

Preparation Core each tomato and cut an X in it's base. 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 hot 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. Reprinted with permission from Michael Chiarello's Live Fire by Michael Chiarello with Ann Krueger Spivack and Claudia Sansone, © 2013 Chronicle Books