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Romesco Sauce For Spreading or Dipping

Here's how you make Romesco Sauce For Spreading or Dipping
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  • Servings: 5
  • Prep: 25m
  • Cook: 0m
    • The following recipe serves 5 people.

Ingredients

The ingredients are:
  • Italian bread (1 loaf/1-pound)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
  • 3 dried ancho chile peppers (soaked for 1 hour, drained, seeded, and roughly chopped, or 2 fresh poblano chile peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded, either pepper is optional, but makes a really nice addition to the resulting sauce)
  • 1/2- to 1-inch piece fresh serrano (or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup almonds (and/or hazelnuts, roasted)
  • 2 to 3 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded (I use Italian canned whole plum tomatoes, drained)
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more)
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (this also is optional, although it’s particularly great to use in the absence of the optional ancho or poblano chile peppers)
We recommend you get your ingredients ready before you start cooking. Once you're ready, here are the steps to making this delicious recipe

How to Make

  • Step 1: Trim the crusts from a 1-inch-thick slice of bread. In a skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the bread and fry until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

  • Step 2: In a food processor, pulse all of the bell and chile and hot peppers along with the garlic, nuts, and the fried bread slice. Pulse until combined but still chunky.

  • Step 3: Add the tomatoes and pulse to combine. Then add the remaining oil (3 tablespoons) and vinegar and pulse. The mixture will emulsify quickly. Add the salt, cayenne, and smoked paprika, if using (the romesco sauce should be thick but also have a slightly viscous quality, if it seems on the thick side, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water). Taste for salt and heat and acid and season accordingly.

  • Step 4: You can cover and refrigerate the romesco for up to 5 days. It just gets better and better with every day the flavors are allowed to meld so I suggest to make this a day or up to 5 days before using it.

  • Step 5: Slice the remaining bread, allowing 1 to 2 pieces per serving, and grill or toast until lightly browned. Serve with the romesco.

We hope you enjoy this recipe!

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