• 1.5 pounds ripe tomatoes, halved
• 1 red pepper, halved and seeded
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the tomatoes and red pepper in a bowl and toss with one tablespoon of olive oil to coat. Place the veggies on a roasting sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, garlic, shallot, pomegranate molasses, paprika and a pinch of salt.
3. Combine the roasted vegetables, the pomegranate marinade and the parsley in a food processor and pulse until the dip is mostly smooth. Add more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with pita or crostinis.

Recipe ever-so-slightly adapted from Lousia Shafia’s The New Persian Cookbook.

Tags: Persian, vegetarian, vegan, pareve, low-carb