Salsa Rossa

This happens to be the best salsa, sauce, whatever I've...well, ever, eaten. Or ingested. Whichever is more appropriate for what I did to the salsa. I practically drowned my dinner in this sauce. Well, not practically, I really did. As I write this my lips are tingling (from the crushed red pepper and roasted red pepper) like I put Victoria's Secret lip plumper on. Mmm, maybe I should just keep eating this instead of paying $22 for a tube. Hmmm...

When I read the recipe for this salsa, in The Newlyweds' Cookbook, it claimed, "Salsa rossa is one of those divine Italian sauces that transforms simple meat and fish dishes into food nirvana." I thought the authors were exaggerating. False. They. Were. So. True.

I made this with Chicken "Paninis" with Basil & Mozzarella. It absolutely made this dish. Which, honestly, is one of my new favorites. Make this. Just do it. And use my shortcuts. Or look up the book's long version online. I don't have the energy to type it up.

Ingredients:
*1/2 jar roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
*2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
*2 large ripe tomatoes, skinned (check out my How-To: Easily Skin Tomatoes) and coarsely chopped
*a small pinch (which I somehow read as 1/2 teaspoon...yikes! tingling lips explained!) of crushed red pepper flakes
*1 tbsp dried oregano
*1 tbsp red wine vinegar
*salt and pepper

Preparation:
*Heat some evoo gently in a skillet, then add the garlic and saute for 3 minutes.

*Add the tomatoes, pepper flakes and oregano and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

*Stir in the chopped roasted red peppers and vinegar and simmer for a further 5 minutes to evaporate any excess liquid.

*Transfer to a blender and puree until fairly smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

peeled tomatoes ready to be chopped

tomatoes and spices...lots of crushed red pepper but it was still amazing. John says he doesn't want to try it the regular way.

Hmm...spend lots of time broiling a red pepper, cooling it, cutting it, seeding it and removing juice...OR buy a jar of this. Um, yeah. I'll take "things that make my life easier" for $500, Alec.

All the ingredients. Just wait for the liquid to reduce before you blend it!

Planned to fill this jar...after drowning our chicken this is what was left. Must double, no triple, no quadruple the recipe next time.

Served with some of the most amazing chicken ever! (and easiest, score!)