Matbucha

This spicy, savory roasted tomato spread is the perfect topping for any Mediterranean dish.
Matbucha is a tomato-based Mediterranean spread with herbs and spices. (Photo: Sarah F. Berkowitz/Unpacked)

As a longtime chef and enjoyer of most things edible, I can honestly say that just about any dish in the world can be enhanced by a savory sauce. And if I had to pick one, Matbucha would win, hands down. Imagine all the most wonderful flavors and spices of the Mediterranean roasted and blended – and you have Matbucha.

Serve over chicken cutlets, rice, quinoa, fish, in a pita, over crusty bread, crackers – if you can bring it to the table, matbucha will do it justice.

Matbucha

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Prep20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Yield3 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 green peppers
  • 6 vine-ripened tomatoes
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 onions
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tsp schug (see recipe link in instructions below)
  • Juice of half a lemon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Slice peppers in quarters. Cut ends off tomatoes and slice in half. Cut onions into quarters.
  • Toss all vegetables in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Spread out onto parchment paper and roast for 30 minutes, or until beginning to brown.
  • Allow to cool slightly, and then pulse briefly in food processor with 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and schug.
  • This sauce should have some chunkiness to it, so pulse briefly and use a spatula to sweep the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Notes

Our schug recipe can be found here.

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