Romesco Sauce

A wonderful versatile Latin sauce originating in Spain with amazing flavors. It can be served with grilled chicken, fish and seafood, as a sauce for pasta, or alone as a dip. Once you try this, you will be hooked! Try using hazelnuts instead of the almonds. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week. Tastes are enhanced if allowed to sit for a few hours.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 196 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 12 cloves garlic
• ⅔ cup olive oil
• kosher salt to taste
• 1 slice bread
• 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, halved
• 1 large red bell pepper, quartered
• ½ cup toasted whole almonds
• ½ teaspoon Spanish paprika
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Step 2

Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, and garlic cloves onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the vegetables with some of the olive oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in the preheated oven until the garlic has turned golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. While the vegetables are cooling, bake the bread slice on one of the oven racks until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool.

Step 3

Scrape the vegetables and any juices from the pan into a food processor or blender. Break the bread into pieces, and add to the food processor along with the toasted almonds, vinegar, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Puree until finely ground, then drizzle in the remaining olive oil with the machine running. Season to taste with additional salt if necessary.