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My rich and flavorful Romesco Sauce recipe is easy to make using simple ingredients! Perfect for pairing with seafood, chicken, veggies, pasta, and more. You can even make it using canned ingredients!
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What is Romesco Sauce?
Romesco sauce is a tomato-based sauce originating from Spain, using a mix of roasted tomatoes, red peppers, garlic, onion, olive oil, spices, and nuts or seeds. This flavorful sauce is typically paired with fish and seafood, but it's delicious with a variety of foods, including chicken, steak, pork, and veggies!
I'll show you how to make romesco sauce at home using simple ingredients and following easy steps. Plus, I'll share with you my expert tips, serving suggestions, answers to FAQ, and more. Homemade romesco sauce is much better than store-bought, so give it a try!
Tools to Make Romesco Sauce
- A food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle. Typically a mortar and pestle would be used to make romesco sauce, but a food processor will make your life so much easier and give you creamier results. Use whatever you have!
- A large heat-proof bowl if blanching the almonds.
- A sharp knife to score the veggies.
- A rimmed baking sheet for roasting the vegetables.
- A small pan for toasting almonds and bread slices (bread is optional, for serving).
Romesco Sauce Ingredients
- Red Bell Pepper: We'll be roasting our own pepper, alongside the tomatoes, for the freshest possible flavor.
- Tomatoes: Use medium size or larger tomatoes, such as plum tomatoes. The fresher, the better!
- Whole Garlic: Use a whole head of garlic, with the papers still on. It sounds like a lot, but roasting it will turn the flavors mellow and sweet!
- Yellow Onion: Bright, zesty, sweet yellow onion has the perfect flavor profile for romanesco, brightening up the sauce.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil makes this sauce silky smooth and creamy even without dairy!
- Almonds: Use blanched almonds, or blanch raw or roasted almonds using my steps below! Alternatively, you can use hazelnuts or pine nuts.
- Baguette: Adding two slices of baguette is my secret to creamy, incredible Romanesco sauce. It softens and turns the sauce smooth and dreamy.
- Salt: Use a nice kosher salt for the best flavor.
- Sherry Vinegar: Sherry vinegar has the best flavor, but you can also use red wine vinegar. Don't skip adding vinegar, as the acid helps make the sauce bright and lively. In a pinch, you can also use lemon juice.
- Sweet Paprika: Sweet paprika is ideal when you're roasting your own vegetables. Don't skimp out on the paprika, as its flavor truly defines the sauce.
- Ground Red Chili: If you can find it, ancho or ñora peppers have the best flavor. But if you can't, use cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for the same sort of heat.
5-Minute Easy Romesco Sauce Ingredients
If you're looking for an even more quick and easy romesco sauce, try out my 5-minute romesco sauce alternative ingredients:
- Roasted Red Bell Peppers: Use jarred red peppers if you don't have time to roast your own! Or, you can use previously roasted red peppers.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Canned fire-roasted tomatoes will have some of the roasted flavor. Make sure to drain the liquid so the sauce isn't too thin.
- Garlic Cloves: If you're not roasting the garlic, you'll only need 2 cloves, not a whole head! Note that it will have a different, more zingy flavor.
- Smoked Paprika: I recommend swapping the sweet paprika out for smoked paprika if you're not roasting the vegetables. This captures some of that smoky roasted flavor with no cooking required!
For detailed step-by-step instructions with photos, answers to FAQ, expert tips, serving suggestions, and more, scroll under the recipe card below!
Romesco Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Sheet pan for roasting vegetables
- Skillet for toasting almonds
Ingredients
Roasted Romesco Sauce Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 6 plum tomatoes
- 1 head garlic
- 1 medium onion - Spanish or Yellow
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil - plus more for brushing the vegetables
- ¼ cup almonds - blanched
- 2 thin slices baguette
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Paprika - Spanish sweet paprika, or pimentón
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon ground red chili - ñora or ancho if possible
Quick Romesco Sauce Substitutions
- 16 oz Roasted red peppers - drained, instead of bell peppers
- ¼ cup Fire roasted tomatoes - drained, instead of plum tomatoes
- 2 cloves Garlic - minced, instead of head of garlic
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika - instead of regular or sweet paprika
Instructions
Roasting the Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cut an "x" into the top of each tomato to prevent bursting. Place them on the baking sheet with the whole red bell pepper.
- Remove the loose paper peel, then slice the head of garlic in half through the cloves. Place the halves cut side-up on the baking sheet.
- Remove the outer layer of skin from the onion and cut it into wedges from the top. Don't cut all of the way through - keep it intact. Place cut side-up onto the baking sheet.
- Brush the vegetables with olive oil and place in the oven. Roast until soft and beginning to char, 25-30 minutes.
Blanch and Toast the Almonds and Bread
- Optional: This only needs to be done if your almonds are not blanched (still have skins on them).Add the almonds to a large bowl, then pour boiling water over them. Let sit one minutes, then drain the water and rinse with cold water. Then, using your fingers, pinch the skins off: the almonds should pop right out!
- While the vegetables roast, place a small pan over medium-low heat with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Add almonds once hot then cook, stirring often, until they are golden. Remove to a plate.
- Add bread slices to the pan and toast until golden on each side. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Blend the Sauce
- Once roasted, add the bell pepper to a bowl and cover for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, peel the skin from the bell pepper. Discard the stem and seeds.
- Then peel the onions, tomatoes, and garlic.
- Place all prepared vegetables in the blender or food processor. Add almonds, bread, salt, vinegar, paprika, ground red chili, and remaining olive oil.
- Puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and taste for seasoning, adjusting as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate! Enjoy!
For Quick Romesco Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend! Toast the almonds and bread if desired, or add without toasting.
Notes
- To make the process simpler, roast the vegetables ahead of time! You can store them fresh or frozen until you're ready to get cooking.
- If you can't find blanched almonds, you can blanch regular almonds. This is fast, easy, and saves on money, as blanched almonds tend to be significantly more expensive. Don't worry if they're salted, as the salt will wash off.
- Be sure to leave the skins on the garlic! This shields the garlic cloves from drying out while roasting, leaving the garlic itself creamy soft.
- You can make gluten free romesco by using gluten free bread instead of baguettes, or leaving out the bread entirely.
- Swap the almonds for pine nuts to make romesco without nuts. Pine nuts are technically seeds, and don't cause the same allergic reaction.
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Isabel! I've been sharing my recipes online, in cookbooks, and in TV specials since 2012. The most important thing to me is Sunday supper with my family, and inspiring togetherness with my recipes!
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Expert Tips
- To make the process simpler, roast the vegetables ahead of time! You can store them fresh or frozen until you're ready to get cooking.
- If you can't find blanched almonds, you can blanch regular almonds. This is fast, easy, and saves on money, as blanched almonds tend to be significantly more expensive. Don't worry if they're salted, as the salt will wash off.
- Be sure to leave the skins on the garlic! This shields the garlic cloves from drying out while roasting, leaving the garlic itself creamy soft.
- You can make gluten free romesco by using gluten free bread instead of baguettes, or leaving out the bread entirely.
- Swap the almonds for pine nuts to make romesco without nuts. Pine nuts are technically seeds, and don't cause the same allergic reaction.
How to Make Romesco Sauce
Step 1: Roasting the Vegetables
1: Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 350˚F and lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
2: Prepare Vegetables
Cut an "x" into the top of each tomato to prevent bursting. Place them on the baking sheet with the whole red bell pepper.
3: Prepare Garlic
Remove the loose paper peel, then slice the head of garlic in half through the cloves. Place the halves cut side-up on the baking sheet.
4: Prepare Onion
Remove the outer layer of skin from the onion and cut it into wedges from the top. Don't cut all of the way through - keep it intact. Place cut side-up onto the baking sheet.
5: Roast
Brush the vegetables with olive oil and place in the oven. Roast until soft and beginning to char, 25-30 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, it's a good time to get started on preparing the almonds and baguette!
Step 2: Blanch and Toast the Almonds and Bread
1: Blanch Almonds
Optional: This only needs to be done if your almonds are not blanched (still have skins on them).
Add the almonds to a large bowl, then pour boiling water over them. Let sit one minutes, then drain the water and rinse with cold water. Then, using your fingers, pinch the skins off: the almonds should pop right out!
2: Toast Almonds
While the vegetables roast, place a small pan over medium-low heat with a drizzle of olive oil.
Add almonds once hot then cook, stirring often, until they are golden. Remove to a plate.
3: Toast Bread
Add bread slices to the pan and toast until golden on each side. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 3: Blend the Sauce
1: Peel the Vegetables
Once roasted, add the bell pepper to a bowl and cover for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, peel the skin from the bell pepper. Discard the stem and seeds.
Then peel the onions, tomatoes, and garlic.
2: Add to a Blender
Place all prepared vegetables in the blender or food processor. Add almonds, bread, salt, vinegar, paprika, ground red chili, and remaining olive oil.
3: Blend until Smooth
Puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and taste for seasoning, adjusting as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate! Enjoy!
5-Minute Quick Romesco Sauce Recipe
This recipe is much faster, and uses the above listed quick Romesco sauce ingredients. You won't need to roast any vegetables, and all you need to do is give the bread a quick toast! If you want, you can even skip blanching and roasting the almonds.
Because this sauce isn't cooked, it will have a zingier flavor, as the garlic and onion will remain raw.
1: Toast the Bread
Toast the bread in a toaster or on a skillet until lightly browned. You can also toast the almonds, or skip this step if you want to save time.
2: Blend until Smooth
Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth!
Sauce Recipes
Storing and Freezing Romesco Sauce
- Refrigerator: Leftover romesco can be stored in the fridge in a jar or airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Romesco is great for freezing! I recommend separating it out into an ice cube tray. Once frozen solid, place the ice cubes in a freezer safe plastic bag.
- Thawing: Romesco sauce does best thawed slowly in a saucepan on low heat, or in the fridge overnight. Make sure to mix it well to ensure that the solids mix back into the liquids.
- Reheating: Romesco sauce is delicious served warm or cold, but I love it warm! I recommend reheating it for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave.
What to Serve with Romesco Sauce
- Asparagus - a classic with romesco, with a rich flavor that pairs perfectly with the smoky sweet sauce. Try my pan-fried, bacon wrapped, or oven-roasted asparagus!
- Chicken - The mild flavor of chicken takes on a new life paired with flavorful romesco sauce! I like livening up leftover oven roasted chicken with it, or mixing into pulled chicken. For even more deliciousness, try it in chicken empanadas!
- Seafood - The tried and true classic! It's good with pretty much every type of seafood, but I recommend lobster for the light, flaky texture. Try out my air fryer lobster, grilled lobster, or lobster in the Instant Pot.
FAQ
Romesco has a light, zingy flavor that is smoky and garlicky with a hint of spice.
You can serve romesco sauce hot, room temperature, or cold, and it will be delicious no matter what. Serve it according to your personal preference!
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