Roasted Red Peppers with Tonnato Sauce

Tonnato sauce—a smooth puree of olive oil–packed tuna, mayonnaise, capers and anchovies—is traditionally served in Piedmont with slices of roasted veal. Here we spoon the sauce onto a platter then top it with a layer of oven–roasted peppers.

Ingredients

• 4 large red bell peppers  · 
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  · 
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise  · 
• Two 6-ounce cans Italian tuna packed in olive oil, drained (Note: do not use Tuna in water)  · 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  · 
• 4 teaspoons small capers, drained  · 
• 16 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained  · 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper  · 
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley  · 
• Crusty bread, for serving  · 

Instructions

Massage with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the peppers and grill or broil (make sure the broiler is preheated and up to temperature). Turn the peppers occasionally for about 15 minutes until they are soft and completely charred. Place the cooked peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to allow to cool. Once cool, quarter the peppers and remove the seeds.

Using a food processor, blend 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the mayonnaise, tuna, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of the capers and 8 of the anchovies. Puree the mixture until it becomes a smooth (tonnato) sauce.

Spread the tonnato sauce on a platter and arrange the roasted peppers on top. Garnish with the remaining capers and anchovies, add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with the remainder of the olive oil.

Garnish with parsley and serve with sourdough or similar well crusted bread and Williamson Frolic Viognier.