This slow-cooked tomato and roasted red pepper dish takes its cues from matbucha, a staple in Moroccan cooking. The result is thick enough to eat with a spoon—so good that Molly often does just that. During the chilly winter months, it’s one of her favorite ways to sneak vegetables into her own meals and her family’s. A can of tomatoes, some roasted peppers, and a long, gentle simmer yield a deeply savory, sweet result.
Info
- Cook time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 3 hours
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Matbucha (see Cook’s Note)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- One 16-ounce jar or 2 large roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whipped Feta (Makes about 1 1/2 cups)
- One 8-ounce block feta, patted dry of brine
- 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
To Serve
- Fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro and mint
- Fluffy Pita, recipe follows
- Sliced Persian cucumbers
- Sliced red onion
- Sliced salami
- Lemon wedges
Fluffy Pita
- 3 3/4 cups (450 grams) bread flour, plus more for dusting (all-purpose is OK too)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (19 grams) sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups (360 grams) warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
- 3 tablespoons (38 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
Instructions
- Make the matbucha: In a nonreactive pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Stir in the paprika and garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and roasted red peppers, then use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes into small pieces. Stir in the sugar, 2 generous pinches of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring now and then, for 35 to 45 minutes, until the mixture thickens and becomes sweet and rich. If it starts spitting aggressively, turn the heat down. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like.
- Make the whipped feta: In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the feta, yogurt, oil, garlic, and lemon zest. Blend until completely smooth.
- Assemble: Spread the whipped feta over a large serving platter. Spoon the matbucha on top, drizzle with olive oil, and scatter with mixed fresh herbs. Serve alongside the fluffy pita and your choice of accompaniments.
- Make the pita: In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook), whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the water and oil, then mix with a stiff rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a work surface, or attach the bowl to the stand mixer and knead on medium speed, adding more bread flour if the dough is too sticky, until smooth and slightly tacky, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rise at room temperature until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Turn out the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by stretching the top and tucking the edges underneath. Place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Position oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Roll each ball of dough into a 6-inch circle with a rolling pin. Return the circles to the baking sheets and bake for about 5 minutes, until puffed and just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven, let cool briefly, and serve warm.
Notes
This recipe makes a generous amount of matbucha. You may not need all of it for topping the feta, but it keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days and makes excellent leftovers.
