Romesco Sauce Recipe
With two methods from simple to complex, my Romesco Sauce recipe is a treat you'll savor! This rich, smoky sauce is an immediate favorite!
Servings 2 Cups
Calories 682kcal
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
Calories: 682kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 1191mg | Potassium: 851mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3980IU | Vitamin C: 109.9mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2.3mg