Charring tomatoes, peppers and onions over a smoldering, hot fire adds some perfect smoke to the sauce, which is then paired with fennel-spiked sausages and lots of fresh basil. These notes–the smoke, the bright tomatoes, the heat from the pepper, spices, floral herbs and fatty pork–beg for a rich and round wine like a Zinfandel.

Make your own sausages (The Hog Book, page 316) or source them from Broken Arrow Ranch.

I love this over a bed of creamy polenta with lots of butter and Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

6 medium tomatoes

1-2 large sweet red peppers (bell, Jimmy Nardello, Anaheim)

1 small red onion, peeled and halved

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

10 leaves fresh basil, torn

1 4” piece of rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

4 links wild boar Italian sausages or Roasted Pepper Sausage

Polenta to serve

Parsley or basil leaves, to garnish

Start a hot fire by burning down hardwood logs of choice (I used post oak here) to a bed of nice, hot coals. Lightly brush the tomatoes, peppers and the cut sides of the onion with 1 tbsp olive oil. Grill over the hot fire until very well charred and softened, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then remove the stems from the tomatoes, stems and seeds from the peppers and the onion skins. Chop the tomatoes, peppers and onion and combine them in a small bowl.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat and cook the garlic and rosemary until the garlic just starts to brown, then add the chopped tomato mixture and any accumulated juices from the bowl. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes while you grill the sausages.

Grill the sausages over medium heat, turning them often and keeping them well-spaced apart so the casings get lots of direct heat. Once the sausages are done, remove them to a plate.

Spoon the polenta onto a platter, then top with the sausages, followed by the sauce and a scattering of parsley or basil leaves.