Name: Romesco Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Spain
Ingredients: 2 medium red bell peppers; 2 plum or vine ripe tomatoes; 1 head of garlic; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 slice day-old Italian or French bread ( you can substitute one slice of sandwich bread, Gluten-free bread or Matzah); 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar; 1 tsp sweet paprika, smoked paprika or a combination of both to taste (See Note 1); 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts or almonds

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Romesco is a wonderful, thick, tasty sauce from the Catalonia region of Spain. It's traditionally served along with big, thick spring onions, grilled to perfection, in cookouts called Calçotades . So delicious you'll want to slather it on everything! So rich and full of flavor people will be asking for the recipe.

Three glass jars filled with rome a sco sauce with a small wood spoon inside one of the jars

Why we love this romesco sauce recipe:

Growing up in Spain, we learned to love so many traditional recipes. It's a wonderful heritage we love sharing with you. Here are all the reasons to love making homemade romesco sauce.

It's easy to prepare at home.
It is slightly sweet from the roasted veggies and tangy from the vinegar.
It has very simple ingredients: red bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, bread, hazelnuts or almonds, and seasoning.
It can easily be made gluten-free. Just use gluten-free bread!
Use matzah instead of bread to make it Passover-friendly.
Don't feel like making roasted red peppers and tomatoes? Just use them out of a jar or can. You can also use sun-dried tomatoes if you have them.
You can adjust the seasoning to your liking. Use sweet or smoked paprika or a combination of both.
Make sure you use a flavorful extra virgin olive oil, and don't skip the vinegar.
Allergic to nuts? Use sunflower seeds instead.

What is Romesco Sauce?

This beautiful, traditional sauce from Spain is similar to pesto in that it is thickened with nuts and fairly chunky. The difference is in the tomato/pepper base, which gives it an incredible flavor profile that is nutty, fruity, and even a little bit sweet. This is one of our favorite recipes from our childhood in Spain.

Ingredients for Romesco Sauce

Red Bell Peppers.
Plum or Vine Ripe Tomatoes.
Garlic Bulb.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Day-Old Italian or French bread. You can substitute one slice of sandwich bread, Gluten-free bread, or Matzah.
Red Wine Vinegar. Or sherry vinegar.
Sweet Paprika. Smoked paprika or a combination of both to taste. If you prefer some heat, add hot paprika instead.
Sea Salt.
Roasted Hazelnuts. Almonds or even pine nuts can work.

How to Make a Traditional Romesco Sauce

Roast red bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic.
Carefully place them in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and let it rest for 20 minutes. This process will allow the skins of the peppers and tomatoes to come off easily.
Remove the skin and seeds of the peppers and discard whatever liquid formed inside the peppers. Remove the skins of the fire-roasted tomatoes, and keep their seeds and juice. Cut the bottom part of the garlic bulb and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skins. Place everything in the food processor. While the sauce is traditionally made with mortar and pestle, I'm so thankful for modern conveniences.
Add roasted hazelnuts, toasted almonds, extra virgin olive oil, sweet or smoked paprika, red wine vinegar, and salt.
Process until you get a thick chunky sauce. If you prefer a creamier sauce, blend it until creamy. We prefer the sauce a little chunky which is how it is served in Spain.

Step by Step Images of How to Make Romesco Sauce

2 red bell peppers. 2 tomatoes and one head of garlic ready to be place in the oven to roast and make romesco sauce

Roast red bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic.

two freshly roasted red peppers and tomatoes and a head of garlic . Ready to be made into romesco sauce

Place roasted veggies in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap

Roasted red peppers, tomatoes and garlic in a glass bowl covered in plastic wrap

Once the vegetables are cool, peel them and place them in a food processor and squeeze the roasted garlic on the veggies

Squeezing roasted garlic cloves into a bowl of a food processor filled with ingredients to make romesco

Add Olive oil, vinegar, paprika, hazelnuts, and bread.

All the ingredients for romesco sauce ( roasted peppers, tomatoes, garlic, hazelnuts, olive oil, paprika and vinegar) in the bowl of a food processor

Pulse until you get a thick chunky sauce

romesco sauce in the bowl of a food processor

How to use Romesco

On grilled potatoes
On roasted vegetables
On grilled cheese
On roasted potatoes
On toasted bread or crackers
On grilled spring onions
On roasted celeriac
In Spain, Romesco is traditionally used on grilled veggies, spring onions, or seafood. It can also be used on chicken. or roasted cauliflower.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze Romesco Sauce?

Yes. Place it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to six months.

How do you roast red peppers?

These can be roasted on the grill or in the oven. Set the oven to 400ºF and roast until starting to blacken on the edges or curl up.

How do I store leftover Romesco Sauce?

Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for a few days.

Are canned, fire roasted tomatoes an adequate substitute for fresh tomatoes when making roasted romesco sauce at home?

No. You want the flavor of a true freshly roasted tomato, and if you can pick some up at the farmers market to roast, even better.

Scooping some romesco sauce out of a glass jar

Check out these other recipes from Spain

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