Romesco sauce: a splendid Spanish sauce

Romesco sauce hails from Spain, and traditionally includes tomatoes, garlic, oil, almonds/hazelnuts/pine nuts, nyora pepper, stale bread or breadcrumbs, and vinegar. I've discovered that after exploring many different approaches to making this sauce, I love using roasted tomatoes as well as roasted red bell peppers. You may use canned red bell peppers in a pinch, but homemade roasted peppers have a superior taste. You can also use canned fire-roasted tomatoes, if you want to use up some pantry staples. To save time, you can roast the peppers with the tomatoes and further adjust the recipe to your liking. Recently, my friend Amber graciously hosted a paella feast fit for royalty, and I brought my version of romesco sauce, paired with vegetables, homemade bread, and fingerling potatoes. The sauce can also be made a few days in advance, making it a stress-free addition to any meal. Olinda olive oil is a must!

Romesco sauce

My recipe is inspired by Martha Rose Shulman

1 large red pepper

4 Roma tomatoes (about ¾ pound, or a few medium tomatoes of your choosing)

3 slices (about 3 ounces) baguette or bread, lightly toasted

2 large garlic cloves, peeled

½ cup toasted almonds 

A big pinch of red pepper flakes 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus leave to garnish 

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1-2 tablespoons sherry or apple cider vinegar

1/2 a lemon, juiced and zested

¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed, I recommend Olinda olive oil

Silvered almonds, for garnish

Preheat your broiler and cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the tomatoes and peppers on the baking sheet, and place under the broiler at the highest setting. Broil for two to four minutes, until charred on one side. Turn over and broil on the other side for two to four minutes until charred. If the tomatoes char before the pepper or vice-versa, remove them, and return the rest to finish roasting. Remove everything from the heat. Cover with plastic wrap and let them steam until the skins loosen. Peel the peppers and tomatoes, remove the seeds and membranes. 

Add the garlic, almonds and red pepper flakes to a food processor and process until they are a paste. Scrape down the food processor bowl with a rubber spatula. Add chopped parsley, salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest. While the food processor is on, add the oil in a slow stream until your desired consistency is reached. Garnish with silvered almonds, a drizzle of olive oil, parsley. Serve as a dip, with seafood or eat with a spoon....