Spanish Romesco Sauce I have not heard of this until today.
This is such a popular sauce in Spain. It’s been called the “ketchup” of Spain.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1-inch thick slice of crusty bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped or slivered
5-6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, or canned whole tomatoes (including the juice) that have been de-seeded,
1 8-ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers
1 Tbsp smoked paprika (preferred) or sweet paprika
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the bread and almonds, stirring often, until they just begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2 Place the contents of the sauté pan into a food processor with the remaining ingredients—salt, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, smoked paprika, vinegar. Purée until smooth. Spread the sauce out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to caramelize. Allow to cool and scrape into a container to store.
To use romesco sauce, mix with pasta, shrimp, chicken or vegetables either before or after they are cooked, much like you would a pesto.
Kept in a sealed container, Romesco sauce will last for a week or more in the fridge. It freezes well, too.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
