It’s tempting to focus solely on the sauce in this recipe, since you may want to eat it with a spoon. I won’t discourage you from that, but I will suggest you make a large batch, so you can enjoy it as a versatile and year-round condiment. This recipe looks to the Italian puttanesca sauce for inspiration.
It’s packed with juicy summer tomatoes, sweet peppers, briny olives and capers, and subtly infused with anchovy. Anchovy, you may wince? You bet. Don’t be intimidated by these little fishies.
When they are of high quality, their flavor is mild and buttery, reinforced by sea salt and a touch of briny flavor that melts into the sauce. When used with restraint, they disappear, even while providing discreet, savory, umami notes. The olives and capers step in and wake the sauce up (not that it’s a snoozer to begin with) and provide sharp, juicy pops of flavor.
This sauce is a sum of its many parts, all of which bond like kindred spirits and create a bright, balanced compote with myriad uses. Spoon it over roasted and grilled fish and chicken, ladle it over pasta, or spread it on toast and flatbreads and melt a blob of mozzarella on top. In addition to its versatility, this sauce is a smart do-ahead recipe, because the flavors develop with time.
Make a jar and stash it in the fridge for use throughout the week, or freeze it for longer storage. Take advantage of summer’s fresh tomatoes and sweet peppers; roast them in the oven or on the grill. If not in season, you can .
