Tomato ‘Nduja

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First, an explanation: Traditional ’nduja (some people say doo-JA like the “JA” in Jamaica; others say en-dew-ya) is like a cross between pepperoni and a spreadable pâté. It’s very flavorful, fatty, and unctuous and comes from the south of Italy. My vegan version, made with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and the usual sausage/pepperoni flavors of fennel, paprika (both smoked and sweet), and cayenne for heat, comes right close. In fact, I crumbled some over polenta for a vegan friend, and he said, “Wait, is that meat?” and then refused to eat any more. Which I took as a win for the tomato ’nduja and its ability to be a great porky, crumbled sausage-y stand-in to top a pizza or focaccia, stuff a quesadilla, twirl into pasta, or lend anything a bit of meaty funk.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 6 ounces mild green olives (choose ones that aren’t too bitter, such as Castelvetrano, Lucques, or Picholine), drained and pitted
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained and blotted dry if oil-packed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon smoked flaky salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Baguette slices, for serving

Place the olives on a stack of doubled paper towels and press firmly to dry and press out any juices. Transfer the olives to the bowl of a food processor and add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, fennel, salt, smoked and sweet paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Pulverize until well mixed. Taste and add more salt if needed.