Romesco Sauce

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated November 23, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes, plus at least 1 hour letting sauce stand
Rating
5(903)
Comments
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Romesco is a rich Spanish sauce of charred tomatoes and roasted red peppers, puréed and thickened with toasted almonds and bread. The flavors are further sharpened with the addition of raw garlic, vinegar, chile powder or red pepper flakes (adjust the heat to your liking). The result is a smoky, pungent sauce, one usually served with mild-mannered vegetables and fish. (Some Spaniards say that a grilled vegetable feast is just an excuse for eating romesco.) But the sauce is just as good on a piece of toast that’s been brushed with olive oil and rubbed with yet more garlic. If you have the time, let the sauce stand for an hour at room temperature before serving, allowing the flavors to meld all the more.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 cups

  • 1 large red pepper, about ½ pound, roasted, peeled, seeds and membranes removed

  • 3 medium tomatoes or 4 Roma tomatoes (about ¾ pound)

  • 2 thick slices (about 2 ounces) baguette or country-style bread, lightly toasted

  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled

  • ½ cup toasted almonds, or a combination of almonds and skinned roasted hazelnuts

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons pure ground chile powder or red pepper flakes, to taste (pepper flakes are hotter)

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika or Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)

  • Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

  • 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar

  • ¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

16 grams carbs; 417 calories; 28 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 39 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 486 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the broiler and cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the tomatoes on the baking sheet, and place under the broiler at the highest setting. Broil for two to four minutes, until charred on one side. Turn over and broil on the other side for two to four minutes until charred. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Peel and core.

  2. Step 2

    Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic cloves. When the garlic is chopped and adheres to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Add the toasted almonds (or almonds and hazelnuts), bread and chile powder or flakes to the bowl and process to a paste.

  3. Step 3

    Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the pepper, tomatoes, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Process until smooth, and with the machine running, add the vinegar and olive oil in a slow stream, beginning with the smaller amount of olive oil and thinning out as desired. Process until well amalgamated, then scrape into a bowl.

  4. Step 4

    Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt or chile as desired. If possible, allow the sauce to stand for an hour at room temperature before using. Serve with fish and/or grilled vegetables, or on crostini.

Tip

  • Romesco keeps for at least five days in the refrigerator; over time, the garlic will become more pungent.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
903 user ratings
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Comments

Cate Doty, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking

The ingredient list specifies a red pepper that has already been roasted, but feel free to roast your own with the tomatoes.

Amy

Great recipe! I prefer a more pepper-y romesco, so I make this exactly as written except with 3 or 4 peppers instead of just one. I make a batch every year when we're drowning in peppers from our farmshare, freeze it in ice cube trays, and enjoy all year round.

Wiiiam.s

A great recipe, I did substitute tomatoes paste and left the bread out since I have a gluten free child. I also roasted the garlic and added a small roasted poblano pepper, with a large red pepper.

Hugh

I love pairing this sauce with Spanish tortillas or frittatas. I usually substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for fresh garlic, use half a can of fire-roasted tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes, and have also had great results using an 8-inch tortilla in place of the bread since I always have them on hand.

Caffey

Used blanched almond flour (Bob's Red Mill) instead of almonds. Also, did not throw whole garlic in food processor. Instead, I chopped up garlic finely with some salt (only one clove) and let it sit in the sherry vinegar for at least 30 minutes to mellow. Then poured the sherry vinegar into the food processor at the time specified, holding back much of the garlic. This made the garlic flavor part of the background and less assertive. Otherwise, made as directed, and it was delish.

Marie

I replaced almonds with hemp seeds and break with Panko. Amazing !!

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