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Romesco Sauce

Blistered peppers, ripe tomatoes, and toasted nuts make a smoky, tangy Catalan sauce with a coarse, spoonable texture.
Coarse romesco sauce with roasted red pepper and almond flecks sits in a shallow ceramic bowl.

Romesco gets its character from ingredients that are roasted or toasted before they meet in the processor. Peppers and tomatoes bring sweetness, while almonds and crisp bread give the sauce enough body to hold its shape on a spoon.

Blister the peppers fully

Patchy black blisters are useful because they loosen the pepper skins and add a roasted aroma. Covering the hot peppers after roasting lets their own steam do the peeling work without washing away their flavor.

Toast for depth and body

A dry skillet brings out the almonds' aroma, and crisp bread absorbs some of the vegetable juices as the sauce is blended. Let both cool first so they keep their toasted character instead of softening in residual heat.

Blistered red peppers and softened tomatoes sit beside toasted almonds and crisp bread before blending.
Blistered peppers and softened tomatoes are ready to be peeled and blended.

Stop while it is coarse

Romesco should keep some texture from its nuts, bread, and peppers. Pulsing in short bursts gives you control, while a steady stream of olive oil binds the mixture without turning it into a perfectly smooth puree.

Balance smoke with acidity

The sherry vinegar keeps the roasted vegetables and olive oil from tasting heavy, and the smoked paprika reinforces their charred aroma. Serve the sauce at the table with grilled vegetables, bread, or another simply cooked dish so its own flavor stays central.

A close view shows romesco's brick-red color, coarse almond texture, and modest olive oil sheen.
The finished romesco holds a spoonable shape with visible flecks of nuts and roasted pepper.

Romesco Sauce

8 servings
60 minutes total

Ingredients

  • •  2 large red bell peppers
  • •  2 medium ripe tomatoes
  • •  1/2 cup blanched almonds
  • •  1 slice rustic bread, about 1 oz
  • •  2 garlic cloves
  • •  2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • •  1 tsp smoked paprika
  • •  1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • •  1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • •  1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Heat the oven

    Set a rack in the upper third and heat the oven to 450 F. Line a small rimmed pan with foil if you want easier cleanup from the roasting juices.

    Look for: The oven is fully heated before the peppers and tomatoes go in.

  2. Toast the nuts and bread

    Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden; toast the bread on both sides until crisp. Cool both before blending.

    Look for: The almonds smell nutty without dark spots, and the bread feels dry and crisp.

  3. Roast the peppers and tomatoes

    Place the whole peppers and tomatoes on the pan and roast at 450 F, turning the peppers once, until their skins blister and blacken in patches and the tomatoes slump and split.

    Look for: Pepper skins are blistered all around, while tomatoes are soft with split skins.

  4. Steam and cool

    Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover it for 10 minutes so trapped steam loosens their skins. Let the tomatoes cool until easy to handle alongside them.

    Look for: The pepper skins lift easily when rubbed, and the vegetables are cool enough to handle.

  5. Peel the vegetables

    Rub away and discard the pepper skins, remove their stems and seeds, and peel the tomatoes; keep the soft flesh and any clear roasting juices for the sauce.

    Look for: The pepper flesh is clean of seeds and most blackened skin, with its soft interior intact.

  6. Make the toasted base

    Break the toast into a food processor and add the almonds, peeled garlic, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Pulse until the nuts are coarse crumbs and the garlic is finely chopped.

    Look for: The mixture is crumbly and aromatic, with no whole garlic pieces remaining.

  7. Blend the romesco

    Add the peeled peppers, peeled tomatoes, and sherry vinegar, then pulse until the mixture is textured but spoonable. With the processor running, stream in the olive oil just until the sauce comes together; leave small flecks of nut and pepper visible.

    Look for: The sauce mounds softly on a spoon and retains a coarse texture rather than becoming a smooth puree.

  8. Rest and balance

    Taste the sauce and let it stand for 10 minutes so the toasted nuts and pepper settle into the vinegar and oil. Stir once before serving; it should taste smoky, bright, and rich in balance.

    Look for: No one element dominates, and the rested sauce remains easy to spoon rather than stiff.