Spanish Romesco Sauce

One taste of this wonderful Spanish Romesco Sauce and you will be blown away by the explosion of flavors and the smooth, silky, texture of this rustic all-purpose sauce.   Spain’s flagship sauce originated in Catalonia and is loved all throughout Spain. 

Traditionally, romesco sauce was created by the Spanish fishermen for their daily catch.  The bold flavors of this sauce especially compliment fish and seafood. Consider trying this recipe for Linguini with Spanish Romesco Sauce or our recipes for Spanish Romesco Seafood Stew and Seared Scallops with Romesco Sauce. Not only is this simple sauce great for fish but the smooth, texture makes it an ideal all-purpose sauce and great with vegetables. 

If you like this recipe you will like our chimichurri sauce. And check out our spicy Buffalo Sauce with a plate of Baked Chicken Tenders.

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Spanish restaurants are appearing more frequently in America’s cities with tapas bars where you can make an entire meal of many small plates of their cuisine.  Recently, we visited the Spanish restaurant, Toro Bravo, in Portland, Oregon and spent a memorable two-hour dinner enjoying tapas of every type. 

What is Spanish Romesco Sauce?

Spanish Romesco Sauce is Spain’s version of Italy’s marinara sauce and it is a welcome alternative.  This savory sauce gets its vibrant color from the roasted tomatoes and sweet peppers while the toasted Marcona almonds give it a rich creaminess. 

Spain has competitions every year for the best romesco sauce as each contestant puts their own spin on it and considers theirs ‘The Best!’  During the Calcot season, they celebrate with a Calçotada Festival of grilled calcots dipped in this luscious romesco sauce. 

Ingredients Needed to Make Romesco Sauce:

We used a combination of red bell peppers and those lovely long, sweet Italian red peppers.  The Italian red peppers are currently in season and we have stocked our fridge with them.  They are also known as sweet Italian grilling peppers and we have been enjoying them grilled.  See our post here.   They have the same flavor profile as sweet red bell pepper.  This super-flavorful romesco sauce includes:

• Sweet red peppers
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Onion
• Olive Oil
• Mild dried chili peppers
• Marcona almonds
• Bread
• Lemon juice
• Smoked paprica 
• Salt/pepper

Be sure to include the smoked paprika as it is the key flavor ingredient and puts the WoW in the sauce. With the exception of Marcona almonds, we are willing to bet that most of the ingredients are right there in your pantry.   Marcona almonds are imported to America from Spain. Most supermarkets stock Marcona almonds but they can be a bit pricey.

How to Make this Spanish Romesco Sauce:

Making this incredible tasting romesco sauce is really easy, here is a brief ‘how to’ to make it. Please scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card for full ingredient quantities and instructions. 

1. Place the prepared vegetables on a baking sheet brush with olive oil and roast them in a 400°F oven until soft and a little charred.  
2. While the vegetables are roasting, rehydrate the dried chiles in hot water.  After they are hydrated and soft remove their seeds and mash/strain to a purée.
3. Toast the almonds and bread in a small skillet and let cool on a paper towel. The almonds and bread add texture and thickness to the sauce.
4. Remove the seeds and membranes from the roasted peppers.  Slide the skins from the tomatoes, open the garlic and squeeze out the cloves.  
5. Place the roasted/prepared vegetables, chili purée, almonds and bread  into a food processor or blender.  Add the lemon juice, smoky paprika and salt.  Blend to a smooth, creamy sauce.  

What to Serve With This Sauce:

Spanish Romesco Sauce is delicious with fish, poultry, meats and vegetables. Serving it on scrambled eggs will transform a breakfast from boring to gourmet! Set out a dish as a dip with slices of thin toasted bread. Toss it with a plate of pasta and chorizo. Slather it on grilled chicken or use it as a marinade. The ideas are endless and always delicious!

You need this Spanish Romesco Sauce in your life! 

Making this incredible tasting romesco sauce couldn’t be easier and it will keep for a week in the refrigerator.  

You need this Spanish Romesco Sauce in your life! 

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

The next time you are craving fried rice, whisk up a batch of this Sauce for Fried Rice to bring an amazing taste of an old favorite.

The big, bold flavors in our Easy Chipotle Aioli will add a zesty taste to your sandwiches! It is also marvelous as a dip for vegetables or a plate of fries.

Chicken in Mushroom Cream Sauce: A quick and easy dinner on a weeknight. Chicken thighs with meaty thighs in a creamy mushroom sauce. To spoon the rich sauce over, serve it with rice or mashed potatoes.

Prep Time: 40 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

4.92 from 36 votes

Spanish Romesco Sauce

By Pat Nyswonger

Romesco sauce is a super-flavorful sauce made with sweet red peppers, tomatoes, mild chilies, garlic and onions. But the one ingredient that is key to this flavorful sauce is the smoked paprika! It really puts the Wow! in this sauce!

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 2 cups

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 red bell pepper or the long sweet Italian peppers or a combination of the two
• ▢ 4 ripe plum tomatoes
• ▢ 1 head garlic, halved, paper outer skin removed
• ▢ 1 medium onion, peeled and halved
• ▢ ½ cup olive oil, divided
• ▢ 1-3 mild dried chili peppers
• ▢ ½ cup Marcona almonds or standard almonds
• ▢ 1 ounce white bread, crust removed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1-½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions 

• Heat the oven to 400°.
• Add the peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onion to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of the oil and roast until they are soft and slightly charred, about 25-30 minutes.
• While the vegetables are roasting, place the dried chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 minutes or till rehydrated. Strain, and remove the seeds. Place the chilies in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the puree to a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, press with the back of the spoon. Reserve the puree, discard the solids. 
• Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a small skillet set over low heat. Add the almonds and stir to brown them a little, about 1 minute. Transfer the almonds to a small plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the oil. Add the bread to the pan and cook until it becomes a nice brown color, around 30 seconds on each side. Remove the bread from the pan and set it aside.
• When the roasted vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel them. Remove the seeds, tops and membranes from the peppers. Break the garlic loose and squeeze the cloves out. Cut the core stem from the tomatoes. Add the roasted vegetables to a blender or food processor along with the chili puree, almonds, toasted bread, lemon juice, smoked pimento and the remaining olive oil and salt. Blend until it forms a thick sauce. 
• Taste the sauce and if necessary add additional chili puree according to your taste preference. Transfer the romesco sauce to a bowl or container with a lid. Makes about 2 cups

Notes

• We used a combination of red bell and sweet Italian peppers which have the same taste as a standard red bell pepper.
• Although some versions of romesco sauce are made with a powerful kick from hot chiles, the traditional romesco sauce was not meant to be spicy-hot and the small mild ñora chiles are used. If they are unavailable substitute with any other mild dried chili.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon, Calories: 53kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 82mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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