Romesco Sauce

The best homemade Romesco Sauce is made with freshly-fired bell peppers and tomatoes, not the jarred, brine-packed peppers from the store. I love a culinary shortcut, but don't take it here.

Course Pantry

Cuisine Spanish

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings servings (1/2 cup each)

Calories 42kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

2 large red bell peppers (see note 1)
1 medium tomato (about 5 ounces, see note 2)
2 large cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Arrange peppers and tomato in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Broil the peppers until the skin is charred and blistered but not ash white, turning occasionally, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand until the skin starts to loosen and the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Wearing gloves or using a clean kitchen towel, carefully rub off and discard the blackened pepper and tomato skin. Remove the stem and seeds and chop peppers and tomato.
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add roasted peppers, tomato, almonds, and cayenne, and sauté to allow flavors to meld, about 5 minutes.
Transfer pepper mixture to a food processor or blender, add vinegar, tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pulse until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Red bell peppers: While technically you can substitute a 16-ounce jar of roasted bell peppers, drained, from the store, the finished sauce will suffer. Jarred bell peppers add a briny taste that is completely different, and inferior, to roasting fresh bell peppers.
Tomato: You can substitute 1/3 cup of diced tomatoes, drained, for the fresh tomato, but I don't recommend it. Roasting a fresh tomato provides the best possible flavor for this Romesco sauce.
Yield: This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups Romesco, enough for 6 servings, 1/2 cup each.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition