Spanish Romesco Sauce

Ingredient Notes

• You can use any olive oil for this recipe. I’m partial to California Ranch Olive Oil or Kosterina, an olive oil I discovered after visiting Greece last summer, and it’s just so good.
• You do need stale bread for the right texture of this romesco sauce, but if you don’t have a slice of stale bread, just toast the bread before adding it.
• Blanched almonds are a must for the color– you don’t want the almond skins in the sauce for both the texture and color of the finished sauce. If you can’t find blanched, then slivered will work.
• Trader Joe’s has the best prices on roasted red peppers! You can usually get a jar for $1.99, which is a steal compared to other grocery stores.
• Smoked paprika is different from sweet paprika, so make sure to use the smoked kind!
• The red wine vinegar at the end is so important to balance the paprika and the salt. Please don’t skip it, though you can use another acid if you don’t have red wine vinegar– like apple cider or even white balsamic vinegar.

How to Make This Romesco Sauce

Step 1: Toast the Bread and Almonds

Heat the olive oil and add the bread and almonds. Cook until golden brown, making sure to stir frequently to prevent browning. This is really important as burned almonds will ruin the entire dish.

Add in the minced garlic. I do this last to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Step 2: Pulse the Tomatoes

Add the tomatoes and roasted red peppers to the base of a food processor and pulse a few times until chunky. There should still be some nice texture to the sauce, but pulsing the tomatoes and peppers first makes for a better texture in my opinion than adding everything all together at once.

Step 3: Add the Almonds and Bread

Add the almond mixture, vinegar, salt, and puree until mostly smooth, with some texture. From here, the romesco sauce is thin and delicious.

You can enjoy it like this, but for a thicker texture that’s best with bread or sandwiches, add the pureed romesco sauce to a preheated baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes.

How to Serve

We adore this romesco sauce as a dip, slathered onto warm pita bread or homemade bread (fantastic on my no-knead Instant Pot bread and easy flatbreads!)

It’s also a fantastic accompaniment to grilled or roasted vegetables like asparagus, eggplant, and peppers. The sauce adds a depth of flavor that elevates simple vegetables.

More Pepper Recipes

• 20-Minute Pasta with Red Pepper Sauce
• Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
• Rigatoni with Peppers and Sausage
• Minestrone Soup
• Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe

If you try this Spanish romesco sauce, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!