Smoky Romesco Sauce {Gluten Free & Whole30}

The idea for re-making my beloved Romesco sauce recipe came to me when I was having a conversation with a friend who is on the Whole 30 challenge (except I think her challenge is for 90 days … ). She said to me the thing she misses the most is sauces.

My brain was saying in the background, “Wait: what? Sauces? You can totally make a sauce that’s Whole 30 compliant!” … I went through my blog and sent her several sauce recipes that she CAN have. But my romesco sauce was one of them, telling her, “oh, just use almonds in place of the breadcrumbs” … but in the back of my mind I was thinking, “that’s a little not fair.” I had not actually TRIED using almonds in place of the breadcrumbs so how could I just boldly send this recipe, without trying it myself?

So I had to actually do that. And it didn’t bother me one bit because I’m in “using up the last bits of the garden delights” mode … and I freaking love everything Romesco. I had lots of sweet peppers and tomatoes from mom and dad’s garden that needed using quickly and the thought of having some Romesco sauce to play with sounded DIVINE!

Once the sauce was done, I made some zoodles to go with my sauce, which I tossed with the Romesco sauce and topped with cheese. Yes, I know if you’re on the Whole 30 challenge, you can’t have dairy, so skip the cheese. It’ll still be delicious … toss a few almonds on top for a little extra crunch or maybe a few pretty oregano or basil leaves.

Smoky Romesco Sauce {Gluten Free & Whole30}

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: About 1 quart + 1 half-pint of sauce 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 heads garlic + a light drizzle of olive oi
• 2 lb. tomatoes (weighed after roasting/peeling)
• 2 large bell peppers, roasted (red or orange is best)
• 1 small jalapeno, pepper
• 1 cup almonds, toasted
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (I prefer basil & oregano)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

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Instructions

1. Cut the tops off the heads of garlic and pour a little olive oil into the top. Wrap the heads of garlic with foil. Heat up the grill … or heat the oven to 400 F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Set the tomatoes, peppers, jalapeno and wrapped garlic on the grill (or on the baking sheet). Roast the veggies, turning as needed until the tomatoes are cooked on all sides, the peppers are slightly charred all over and the garlic is completely soft. Let rest until cool enough to handle.
3. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

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Notes

To make the zoodles: use your spiralizer to turn regular zucchini into “zoodles”, then heat a teaspoon of avocado oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Toss the zucchini noodles in the oil, cooking until crisp tender, salting/peppering to taste. Toss with the sauce and enjoy!

(You can also use this suce with regular or gluten free noodles–whatever your diet allows!)

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Gluten Free Friday, Weekend Potluck, Pretty Pintastic Party and Clever Chicks Bloghop.