Romesco Sauce is a flavorful sauce typically made with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, almonds (or hazelnuts) that originates from the Catalonian region of Spain.
Romesco Sauce Video
Ingredients in Romesco Sauce:
- red bell pepper
- tomatoes- optional
- onion
- garlic
- toasted almonds or hazelnuts
- olive oil
- salt and spices
- vinegar: sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
The addition of nuts ( typically almonds or hazelnuts) gives the Romesco Sauce a robust richness and heartiness. It’s a nice addition to what you are already cooking at home and can transform the ordinary into something really exciting.
How to make Romesco Sauce:
Step one:
Roast or saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic.
Step two:
Add to a food processor along with the nuts and seasonings.
Step three:
Add the olive oil and water.
Step four:
Blend until combined- and feel free to get this smooth or leave a texture.
I like to leave a little texture here, but up to you!
Variations of Romesco Sauce:
Feel free to experiment with the basic recipe, and feel free to add any of the following:
- sundried tomatoes
- roasted tomatoes
- tomato paste
- dried chilies that have been rehyrated
- anchovy
- other nuts or seeds ( pumpkin, pinenuts, sunflower, pecans, etc.)
- grated parmesan
- tomato paste
- herbs!
What goes with Romesco Sauce?
Use Romesco Sauce like you would pesto- stir it into soups or stews, slather it into a panini, sandwich, or wrap, or toss it with pasta and sprinkle with shaved manchego, or simply serve it in a bowl like a dip, alongside crusty bread. I love its smokey flavor with:
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce & Lentils
- Roasted Parsnips with Romesco Sauce
- With buddha bowls,
- roasted fish,
- baked chicken
- Tossed with pasta
- Over eggs for breakfast!
It’s a good recipe to learn and keep in your repertoire – and the ingredients are ones I usually have on hand, making it easy to whip up. This romesco sauce recipe is also vegan and gluten-free.
Elevate Romesco Sauce!
- To elevate the flavors, try grilling or smoking the peppers and onions which will give it a little charred smoky goodness.
- Play with adding different peppers… or reconstituted dried chilies.
- In Spain, the traditional recipe also contains bread or bread crumbs for added texture (which I’ve left out this time) and Nora peppers which are difficult to find here in our area. I’ve kept this version intentional simple, easy and gluten-free- with more accessible ingredients, but feel free to embellish!
More flavorful sauces you may like:
Romesco Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 ½ cups 1x
- Category: condiment, sauce
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: spanish
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Flavorful Romesco Sauce! You’ll find a million uses for this robust & flavorful Spanish condiment. Earthy, smoky and deep, it’s made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. EASY, Vegan & Gluten-free ( See 5-minute version in Notes)
Ingredients
- 1 large bell pepper (or sub 1 cup roasted bell pepper)
- 1/2 an onion
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds or hazelnuts
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/2–3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
Stovetop method (20 mins)
Dice the red bell pepper and onion. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and saute onion and pepper until tender and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add smashed garlic cloves and continue sauteing until onions and peppers start to caramelize.
Roasting Method (40 mins)
Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut bell pepper in half, remove seeds and place open side down on a greased sheet pan. Add the onion, cutting ½ inch rings, add the garlic cloves whole, brush or spray with olive oil and roast 25-30 minutes, checking on garlic halfway through. Remove garlic when tender and golden. Continue roasting pepper and onion another 10 minutes, or until all are tender and slightly charred.
Blend Romesco Sauce:
Place the pepper-onion mixture a food processor with all the remaining ingredients (except the parsley). Pulse until combined. You can keep this quite coarse, with more texture, or blend until very smooth and creamy.
Add the chopped parsley and pulse a few times. Taste, adjust salt and heat.
To serve, place in bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with parsley and crushed nuts if you like.
Notes
Extra Heat: Feel free to add fresh chilies to the cooking/roasting onion-pepper mixture. Or rehydrated dried chilies to the food processor.
5-minute version: Substitute jarred or canned Roasted Peppers (one cup, drained) (In this case, simply brown the onions and garlic on the stovetop- or use 1-2 teaspoons of each, granulated.
Store in a sealed jar, covering the sauce with a layer of olive oil to prevent discoloring.
The vinegar extends its shelf life- and will keep for 10 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 75
- Sugar: 1.4 g
- Sodium: 296.3 mg
- Fat: 7.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.9 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Wow – this is so, so good. For those who haven’t made it yet, don’t deviate from the recipe. It’s perfect as-is. Thanks so much!
Glad you enjoyed!
Thanks for another great recipe!
Sylvia!!!
Another 5 star recipe…. so easy and sooooo delicious!!!
I served this with Gluten-free spaghetti and it was a HUGE hit!
Thank you very much for sharing!!!
Judy
Yay!!! Great to hear. Thanks for sharing! 🙌
My husband said this is the best thing I have ever made for him – and we’ve been together 12 years so there’s a lot of competition!
Wow!That is amazing!
What a fantastic condiment. So many uses. Just love this with tapas.
So happy you like it! Yes, a good one!
I made this for Christmas with the t
roasted potatoes and the moment I taste-tested it I knew it was just like my favorite Muhammara dip at a Mediterranean restaurant that I used to go to 10 years ago. I am *so* happy to find this version bc nothing I tried at restaurants or at home came close to this before. So, so good!!! Love all your recipes, thank you.
So happy you enjoyed this!!!
Delicious and tasted very close to the romesco we fell in love with in Barcelona!
So glad you liked it!
Pretty darned good! I made it twice – the second time I also added pine nuts – yowsa! So good!
Sylvia,
This recipe is incredible I love it. As usual your recipes are amazing and so many of them are prepared regularly in my house making our everyday meals soooo good ! A huge thankyou!
Annette.
Thanks so much Annette!
Sound very interesting and tasty. Will make it.
Love the romesco sauce! Tried the sweet potato balls, but had a hard time getting them formed–very gloopy. Next time, might try to refrigerate to firm up the mixture before coating with flour and searing. Other suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks for great ideas 🙂
I made this when it was first posted. Most delicious!
looks delish! beautiful photographs!
Wow that looks delicious…..Really need to give this a try…
Simon