Blistered Romanos with Roasted Tomato Gochujang Sauce

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash and core your tomatoes (You want to remove the tough core that starts at the stem and goes about half way down the tomato. Click here for more details).
• Lightly oil a baking sheet and sprinkle the chopped garlic around the sheet.
• Cut the tomatoes in half and place them, cut side down, on the baking sheet.
• Coat the tomatoes in olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Roast for about 40 minutes. Half way through, sprinkle a little water over the tomatoes and garlic to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
• When the tomatoes are about 20 minutes from being done, heat a large pan (ideally stainless steel) over high heat. When hot, add enough oil to coat, then ¼-½ of the romano beans (depending on what fits). Let the beans cook on one side until they are blistered in places (2-3 minutes), then flip and cook on the other side. Remove onto a plate, then repeat with the remaining beans. Season the beans with salt and pepper, then set aside on a plate until ready to use.
• Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let cool slightly. When cool enough to touch, gently peel away the wrinkly skin. Transfer everything on the sheet pan to a bowl and use a fork to mash it into a chunky sauce. If you didn’t do the best job coring your tomatoes, make sure to discard any hard bits. Stir in the sherry vinegar and fish sauce, then taste and add salt and pepper as needed (the gochujang will provide some salt as well, so don’t season to the max quite yet).
• Turn your pan back on to low and add a splash of olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the gochujang and stir constantly, so the gochujang gently caramelizes, about 30 seconds to one minute.
• Add the tomato sauce to your pan and stir to combine. Heat until lightly bubbling, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add the romanos, and lightly simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, until the beans are crisp yet tender, and they have absorbed the flavor of the sauce (you don’t want to simmer too high as that will cause the liquid to evaporate). It may seem that there is not enough sauce, but just keep stirring to ensure every bean gets coated. Add the almonds and stir, then cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and enjoy.