Romesco Sauce
A thick sauce of roasted red peppers, almonds, tomatoes, garlic, smoked paprika, sherry vinegar and olive oil.
Photograph credit: Salsa de romesco (image of romesco on Wikidata Q586770) by Laia from Reus, Catalonia · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
It looks like a pesto and tastes like a roasted pepper dip, which is why it is so useful. Romesco is thicker than most sauces and sits on grilled fish, chicken, vegetables or bread.
Roast the peppers, tomatoes and garlic together at 220°C / 430°F for 20 minutes until the skins blister and darken. Put the peppers in a bowl, cover them, and leave them for 10 minutes so the skins loosen. Peel the peppers and the garlic. Toast the almonds in a dry pan until they smell nutty. Raw almonds make a bland sauce.
Blend the vegetables with the almonds, bread, paprika and sherry vinegar, then pour in the oil slowly until the sauce is thick but spoonable. Season with salt.
It keeps well, and tastes better the day after it is made. A jarred roasted pepper can replace fresh ones if you are short of time, drained and patted dry.
The Method for Romesco Sauce
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Heat the oven to 220°C / 430°F. Roast the peppers, tomatoes and garlic on a tray for 20 minutes until blistered.
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Put the peppers in a bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes, then peel them and the garlic.
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Blend with the almonds, bread, paprika and vinegar until rough.
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With the blender running, pour in the oil slowly, then season with the salt.
Worth Getting Right
- Toast the almonds.
- Cover the peppers so the skins slip off.
- If your oven runs hot, check at 15 minutes.
- Add the oil slowly.
Swaps and Variations
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
Pairs Well With
Grilled fish · Grilled chicken · Roast vegetables · Crusty bread
Leftovers and Storage
Keeps in the fridge for 4 days under a layer of oil. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Romesco Sauce Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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