Smoky Spanish Romesco Sauce

Adapted from Lemony Thyme

The secret to an amazing dish is so often a great sauce.  This is one of those “oh my gosh that’s SO good” sauces that you want to lick every drop off the plate. I knew I had to try as soon as I saw it. My foodie friend Lemony Thyme brought it to my “pick a peck of peppers” party on facebook. I fell in love at first sight. I’m a sucker for every ingredient in this addictive sauce, from the fire roasted tomatoes, peppers and garlic to the almonds and the olive oil-toasted bread.

Over the past week, I’ve found myself dipping chips in Romesco sauce, spreading it on toast, using it on pizza, pasta, eggs, sandwiches, anything I can think of. I just want MORE Romesco sauce. I’ve been sharing it with everyone around me … offering them all a taste of it because I want to share the joy that is Romesco.

I think my version of this sauce is not quite as thick as perhaps it should be. I must confess I didn’t really follow the recipe … I used half the amount of bread and I also skipped out on the vinegar. I had no fresh parsley so I tossed in some other fresh herbs. I am not quite sure if it’s “right” because it is the first time I’ve experienced Romesco sauce but I am totally smitten with it, just like this. I seriously would not change a thing. I hear it’s often used on seafood, and I have yet to experience that, but I mean to rectify that situation sometime very soon. 

Smoky Spanish Romesco Sauce

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: About 1 quart of sauce 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 small heads of garlic & a little drizzle of olive oil
• 2 lbs. tomatoes, roasted, peeled & cored (weighed after roasting/peeling)
• 2 large bell peppers (red, orange or yellow is preferred, but you can use green in a pinch)
• 1/2 of a small hot pepper
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups bread cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (I used basil & oregano)

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Instructions

1. Cut the tops off the heads of garlic, drizzle a bit of olive oil in there, then wrap them in foil for roasting.
2. Start up the grill and set the garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, and the hot pepper on to roast them, turning to roast all sides of the veggies. Tomatoes will cook quickly, while peppers will take longer. Leave the garlic on for longer, till the cloves are very soft. Let the peppers cook till their skins are charred, then flip them to roast all sides of the pepper. Remove the tomatoes and peppers from heat and set in a bowl, then cover the bowl with a plate to “steam” for a bit. Set the garlic aside till it’s cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F, toast the almonds, then heat a large frying pan over medium heat and toast the bread cubes in the olive oil, stirring frequently, till browned.
4. Now, take the tomatoes, core and peel them (the peels should slide right off), then do the same with the peppers. Weigh the tomatoes after you’ve cored & peeled them, setting aside any extra for another use.
5. Put the tomatoes in a blender. Squeeze the pulp from the garlic cloves into the blender as well. Add the peppers, almonds, paprika, salt & herbs and blend till smooth. Blend in the bread as well.
6. To finish the sauce, pour the sauce into a shallow baking pan and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. This will allow the sauce to thicken slightly and caramelize around the edges.

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Notes

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

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This recipe was shared at Scrumptious Sunday, Munching Mondays, Tuesday’s Table, Wine’d Down Wednesday and Thursday’s Treasures.