Salsa Romesco: a traditional yet quick and versatile Spanish sauce

When it feels like the summer heat is never ending, do as the Spanish do and ditch anything long-cooking for a quick and easy sauce. From the Catalonia region of Spain, Romesco sauce is typically used as an accompaniment grilled fish or vegetables, especially calçots (a regional green onion. It pairs effortlessly with literally anything off the grill- fish, chicken, beef, vegetables (I love it with eggplant!).

Most recipes call for almonds as the base for Romesco sauce, but you’ll see some out there that also include hazelnuts. My version combines almonds with a handful of pine nuts. Why? Because that’s what I had in my pantry! That’s another bonus of this sauce- it could also come together with a few cupboard staples. Use jarred, roasted peppers instead of charring them at home. Substitute pine nuts for hazelnuts or go all almond.

Since there’s no dairy, Romesco sauce also travels well and holds up to afternoon picnics and cookouts. Transform it into a dip by adding, a few slices of stale white bread and serve chilled with crunchy vegetables for a fresh take on crudité.

Stir it in with cooked white beans like Corona, Ayocote Blanco, Lima, or butter beans. Topped with a fried egg and a little avocado, you’ve got a filling, high-protein breakfast.

Romesco Sauce

Emily Schmidt

Romesco is a simple, Spanish sauce featuring roasted peppers and almonds that goes with just about anything. Serve cold as a dip, room temperature as an accompaniment to grilled fish, chicken, steak or vegetables, or warmed up and stirred in with cooked beans.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course main, Sauce

Cuisine Spanish

Servings 0

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup blanched almonds
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 large bell pepper (red or orange) (may substitute with 1 cup jarred, roasted pepper, drained)
• 1.5 lbs fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbs sherry vinegar (substitute with rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 cup crusty white bread, torn into large pieces (optional, if making as a dip)

Instructions

 

• Char the bell pepper under a broiler or on a grill. Once blackened all the way around, transfer it to a bowl and cover until it cools to room temperature. With your hands, gently peel away the charred skin. Remove stem and seeds.
• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with any protein, grilled bread, as a dip for crudité, or with any variety of cooked beans.

Keyword Easy, Salsa, Sauce, Summer

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