Spanish Romesco Sauce
Romesco is basically the red pepper almond sauce you’ll want on everything. Roasted peppers, tomatoes, and garlic get blended with toasted almonds, bread, lemon, and smoked paprika for a thick, smoky sauce that’s perfect for dipping or spooning over dinner.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 red bell pepper or sweet Italian peppers
- 4 ripe plum tomatoes
- 1 head garlic halved, paper outer skin removed
- 1 onion peeled and halved
- ½ cup olive oil divided
- 1 to 3 mild dried chili peppers ancho, pasilla, or nora work well
- ½ cup Marcona almonds or standard almonds
- 1 ounce white bread crust removed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°.
- Arrange the peppers, tomatoes, garlic (cut-side up), and onion (cut-side down) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast until the peppers blister and the tomatoes soften and slump, 25–30 minutes.
- While the vegetables roast, put the dried chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover with very hot water (just off the boil). Let them soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the chiles, then remove the stems and scrape out the seeds.
- Add the softened chiles to a blender with 2–3 tablespoons of water and blend until completely smooth. For a smoother sauce, press the chile puree through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, using the back of a spoon. Keep the smooth puree and discard the solids left in the sieve.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over low to medium-low heat. Add the almonds and stir constantly until they smell toasted and turn slightly deeper in color, about 1 minute (watch closely, they can burn quickly). Transfer the almonds to a paper towel–lined plate.Add the bread to the same skillet and toast until golden brown, about 30 seconds per side. Remove and set aside to cool.
- When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel the peppers and remove the stems, seeds, and white membranes. Separate the garlic head into cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins.Cut out the tough core from the tomatoes (and peel the tomatoes if you want a smoother sauce).
- Add the roasted vegetables to a blender or food processor with the chile puree, toasted almonds, toasted bread, lemon juice, smoked paprika, the remaining olive oil, and salt. Blend until thick and mostly smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Taste the sauce and add more chile puree if you want extra warmth. Add a little at a time (start with 1 teaspoon), blending after each addition, until it tastes right to you. Transfer the romesco to a bowl or lidded container. Makes about 2 cups.
Notes
Choose mild chiles: Traditional romesco isn’t meant to be spicy-hot. Nora chiles are classic, but ancho, pasilla, or other mild dried chiles work well.
For a smoother sauce: Pressing the chile puree through a fine-mesh sieve removes tougher bits of skin and gives you a silkier romesco. If you don’t mind a slightly rustic texture, you can skip the sieve.
Watch the almonds: Nuts can go from toasted to burnt fast. Stir constantly and pull them as soon as they smell fragrant and turn slightly darker.
Tomato skins are optional: Roasted tomato skins blend in fine, but you can peel them if you want the smoothest texture.
Texture control: Blend longer for a smooth sauce, or pulse for a chunkier romesco with more texture.
Adjust thickness: If your romesco is thicker than you want, blend in a teaspoon or two of water (or a little more olive oil) until it loosens up.
Make-ahead & storage: Romesco keeps well in the fridge in a lidded container. The flavor often tastes even better after it sits for a few hours.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1392IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg
