Name: Grilled Tomato Sauce
Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients: 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

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.

Recipe notes

Charred Vegetable Ragù

This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!

Not-So-Secret Burger Sauce

Every sauce needs a few secrets. Ours is smoky, sweet, and savory—use it for burgers, fries, tenders, and more.

Spice-Grilled Pork Chops

A pinch of sugar in the spice rub ensures picture-perfect grill marks with layers of flavor.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

Smoky Tofu Shakshuka

This vegan version of the classic North African scramble uses soft silken tofu instead of eggs without any sacrifice of flavor.

Palets Bretons

Palets bretons are oversize cookies that feature butter, and because they’re from Brittany, they’re traditionally made with beurre salé, salted butter.

XO Sauce

Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.

Halloumi Lasagna

In this lasagna, soft layers of pasta and béchamel are interspersed with a rich tomato sauce laden with hearty Mediterranean vegetables.