romesco (spanish red pepper sauce)

This romesco sauce is rich, smoky, and a little bit sweet, with delightful bits of crispy bread and nuts. It’s a coarse puree of sweet roasted red peppers, dried chiles, fried bread, almonds and plenty of peppery olive oil. There’s a touch of garlic, bright tomato puree, and nutty sherry vinegar to balance the richness.

This isn’t like any romesco you’ve probably had. We literally eat it by the spoonful, it’s that good!

Why I love it:

Here’s the thing about romesco sauce: bad romesco is really bad. And if that’s all you’ve had, you don’t even know you need the real deal romesco in your life. The store-bought glass jars of romesco can be metallic, bitter, and thin. They taste like a pureed bell pepper with some nuts mixed in.

That’s fine for a pasta sauce or smothered on a burger, but don’t settle for it. And don’t settle for a recipe that over-simplifies it! 

This one is a bit involved, but I promise it’s a revelation. 

It’s rich and smoky, sweet, nutty, and filled with crispy bits of caramelized bread. I intentionally take some steps here that are more involved than other romesco recipes, but that’s my thing. I want to produce recipes for you that are so good, they change your life. 

Yes, you should roast the peppers yourself. Yes, you’ll need to make a dried chile puree and get out an annoying strainer. Yes, we’re starting with a piece of bread and not skipping ahead to pre-made breadcrumbs. 

There are a million short-cut recipes out there using a can of roasted peppers and panko, and they’re completely subpar. If you want a 5-minute romesco, keep looking. This will take some time, organization, and a lot of ingredients. 

But if you want an ethereal experience, a sauce that is unlike anything you’ve had before, a completely different animal from what you expect-- you have to go the extra mile. The details matter.

Once you make it, you’ll finally understand what this incredible Spanish sauce is all about.

What is romesco sauce?

Romesco sauce is a Spanish sauce (Catalonian, specifically) made with sweet peppers, tomatoes, nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts), bread, garlic, sherry vinegar and olive oil.

The consistency can vary from thin and smooth to thick and textured.

There are all kinds of variations of the red pepper sauce, from the types of red chiles used (traditional ñoras, bell peppers, dried anchos), stale country bread or premade breadcrumbs, herbs, spices, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and everything in between.

At its core, romesco sauce is a puree that includes sweet peppers, tomatoes, nuts, bread, and olive oil.

romesco sauce ingredients:

how to make romesco sauce:

1. Roast and peel the red bell peppers.
2. Toast the dried chiles, puree with hot water, then strain out tough bits of skin.
3. Tear bread into chunks and fry until golden brown. Add almonds to the pan and toast until nutty.
4. Caramelize the tomato paste until darkened and sizzly.
5. Combine fried bread, almonds, tomato paste, garlic paste, paprika, cayenne, vinegar, and salt in a food processor and blend until coarsely ground.
6. Add roasted peppers, tomato puree, and chile puree. Blend.
7. Drizzle in olive oil and blend until mostly smooth and combined.
8. Add more salt or vinegar, if needed.
9. Enjoy!

What makes this the best romesco sauce?

Romesco sauce recipes are a dime a dozen. Why try this one? Well, I've broken down the ingredients that really matter and optimized them for flavor and efficiency. This isn't the quickest recipe on the internet, but it is the best.

• Strained chile puree: Toast the dried chiles in a skillet until fragrant (not darkened) and pliable, then puree with hot water until as smooth as possible. Then, strain out any bits of skin or seeds, for a silky smooth pepper puree. This step makes a huge textural difference! 
• Roast your peppers: Jars of roasted peppers are often bland, mushy, and vegetal. Roast your own peppers for a big, sweet roasted pepper flavor. This is so simple in the broiler!
• Crunchy fried bread: Unexpectedly, this bread step has a huge impact on the sauce. We tear the bread into pieces, fry it until deeply caramelized and crunchy, then blitz it up in the food processor. Those crispy bits in the sauce add so much flavor and texture!
• Caramelized tomato paste: Cook the tomato sauce until darkened and caramelized. This intensifies the tomato flavor and eliminates any metallic notes. 
• Canned tomato puree: You might be surprised here, but I love canned tomatoes. They’re preserved at the height of their flavor and acidity, and are way more reliable than fresh tomatoes. The crushed or pureed ones also save a ton of time. Don’t worry about finding a real tomato here: source high-quality canned tomato puree and you’re all set!
• Garlic paste: Take the time to smash the garlic into a smooth paste. No one wants a chunk of garlic in their sauce!

How to use romesco sauce:

• Spoon over a breakfast bowl (rice, crispy potatoes, sautéed spinach, poached egg)
• Swirl it into thick Greek yogurt and serve as a dip with flatbread
• Spread on thick-sliced avocado toast
• Drizzle over your favorite tomato panzanella salad
• Stuff mini peppers with a dollop of romesco and sprinkle with feta
• Dip for french fries or fried goat cheese balls
• Make romesco pizza with our favorite artisan pizza dough
• Dollop on top of a simple burrata toast
• Spoon on top of chorizo hash
• Dip for crusty bread, pita chips, or crunchy veggies
• Dip for arancini
• Spread on burgers or sandwiches
• As a dip for grilled vegetables (cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini, eggplant)
• A sauce for grilled shrimp, scallops, or fish (such a halibut!)

A few more notes:

• Use whatever nuts you like, here! I love slivered almonds because they’re already blanched and peeled. Use hazelnuts, or a mix of half almonds and half hazelnuts, or try walnuts for a bitter edge.
• As the sauce sits, the oil will separate and the color will darken a bit. This is all normal and doesn’t change the flavor. Just stir the sauce back together before eating.
• Romesco will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. Store in a glass jar.
• It doesn’t freeze well, so plan on enjoying it or sharing with neighbors!

more sauce and condiment recipes to try:

ricotta cheese dip

salmon rillettes (buttery salmon spread)

smoked trout dip

sour cream and onion dip

whipped feta dip with herby cucumber salad

white bean hummus

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