Grill the bell peppers directly over the stove flame on a grill, turning them on all sides, or place them on a baking sheet under the broiler in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F). You can cut them in half and place them skin-side up on the baking sheet. Tomatoes can also be grilled in the same way. Cooking in the airfryer is also quick, but it doesn’t provide the smoky flavor characteristic of grilling.
Once the bell peppers are well roasted, place them in a plastic bag to let them steam (this makes peeling easier). If you cooked them in the oven, this step is not necessary.
Clean the peppers by removing the skin, seeds, and stem. Wash them thoroughly, then let them drain well in a colander.
Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds (or not, depending on your preference), then cut them into small cubes. Do the same with the peppers. Finely chop the garlic.
In a frying pan, brown the garlic in a drizzle of olive oil, without letting it color: it should simply release its fragrance.
Add the peppers, stir for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes.
Season with salt, pepper and cumin if desired.
Note: I now add the cumin at the very end of cooking, a minute before removing from the heat, to prevent it from releasing a slight bitterness.
Simmer over low heat, crushing the tomato pieces from time to time to reduce them to a purée. Continue cooking until just a little sauce remains and all the ingredients have browned.