Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (2024)

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By Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home • January 9, 2019

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4.9 from 9 reviews

21 comments

You’ll find amultitudeof uses for this flavorful Romesco Sauce Recipe. Earthy, smoky, and deep, it’s made with simpleingredients youprobably already have on hand. Easy, vegan and gluten-free, make this in 20 minutes. (Or see the 5-minute recipe in the notes!) Video.

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (1)

Romesco Sauce is a flavorful saucetypically made with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, almonds(orhazelnuts) thatoriginates from the Catalonian region of Spain.

It tastes earthy, smoky, and slightly sweet with just a hint of heat –the perfect condiment for vegetables, meats and fish -complementing a wide range of meals.

The best part? It requires no hard-to-find ingredients (you already probably have everything on hand), is very simple and quick to make, and can be made ahead! Great for meal prepping for the busy week!

I’ve also included a quick 5-minute “cheater version” in the recipe notes made with jarred roasted peppers.

Romesco Sauce Video

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (2)

Ingredients in Romesco Sauce:

  1. red bell pepper
  2. tomatoes- optional
  3. onion
  4. garlic
  5. toasted almonds or hazelnuts
  6. olive oil
  7. salt and spices
  8. vinegar: sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

The addition of nuts ( typically almonds or hazelnuts)gives the Romesco Sauce a robust richness and heartiness. It’s a nice addition to what you are already cooking at home and can transform the ordinary into something really exciting.

How to make Romesco Sauce:

Step one:

Roast or saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic.

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (3)

Step two:

Add to a food processor along with the nuts and seasonings.

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (4)

Step three:

Add the olive oil and water.

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (5)

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (6)

Step four:

Blend until combined- and feel free to get this smooth or leave a texture.

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (7)

I like to leave a little texture here, but up to you!

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (8)

Variations of Romesco Sauce:

Feel free to experiment with the basic recipe, and feel free to add any of the following:

  • sundried tomatoes
  • roasted tomatoes
  • tomato paste
  • dried chilies that have been rehyrated
  • anchovy
  • other nuts or seeds ( pumpkin, pinenuts, sunflower, pecans, etc.)
  • grated parmesan
  • tomato paste
  • herbs!

What goes with Romesco Sauce?

Use Romesco Sauce like you would pesto- stir it into soups or stews, slather it into a panini, sandwich, or wrap, or toss it with pasta and sprinkle with shaved manchego, or simply serve it in a bowl like a dip, alongside crusty bread. I love its smokey flavor with:

  • Roasted Parsnips with Romesco Sauce
  • With buddha bowls,
  • roasted fish,
  • baked chicken
  • Tossed with pasta
  • Over eggs for breakfast!

It’s a good recipe to learn and keep in your repertoire – and the ingredients are ones I usually have on hand, making it easy to whip up. This romesco sauce recipe is also vegan and gluten-free.

Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (9)

In Spain, the traditional recipe also contains bread or bread crumbs for added texture (which I’ve left out this time) and Nora peppers which are difficult to find here in our area.I’ve kept this version intentional simple, easy and gluten-free- with more accessible ingredients. Feel free to embellish!

Elevate Romesco Sauce!

  • To elevate the flavors, try grilling or smoking the peppers and onions which will give it a little charred smoky goodness.
  • Play with adding different peppers… or reconstituted dried chilies.
  • In Spain, the traditional recipe also contains bread or bread crumbs for added texture (which I’ve left out this time) and Nora peppers which are difficult to find here in our area.I’ve kept this version intentional simple, easy and gluten-free- with more accessible ingredients, but feel free to embellish!

More flavorful sauces you may like:

  • Chimichurri Sauce
  • Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde) Vegan-Adaptable
  • Authentic Harissa Paste
  • Green Tahini Sauce
  • Poblano Pumpkin Seed Sauce
  • Best EVER Thai Peanut Sauce!

Enjoy this very simplified version of Romesco Sauce and use it as a jumping-off base for your own creations.

xoxo

Sylvia

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Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (10)

Romesco Sauce Recipe

★★★★★4.9 from 9 reviews

  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine| Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 ½ cups 1x
  • Category: condiment, sauce
  • Method: roasted
  • Cuisine: spanish
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

FlavorfulRomesco Sauce! You’ll find amillion uses for this robust & flavorful Spanish condiment.Earthy, smoky and deep, it’s made with simpleingredients youprobably already have on hand.EASY, Vegan & Gluten-free ( See 5-minute version in Notes)

Ingredients

UnitsScale

Instructions

Stovetop method (20 mins)

Dice the red bell pepper and onion. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and saute onion and pepper until tender and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add smashed garlic cloves and continue sauteing until onions and peppers start to caramelize.

Roasting Method (40 mins)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut bell pepper in half, remove seeds and place open side down on a greased sheet pan. Add the onion, cutting ½ inch rings, add the garlic cloves whole, brush or spray with olive oil and roast 25-30 minutes, checking on garlic halfway through. Remove garlic when tender and golden. Continue roasting pepper and onion another 10 minutes, or until all are tender and slightly charred.

Blend Romesco Sauce:

Place the pepper-onion mixture a food processor with all the remaining ingredients (except the parsley). Pulse until combined. You can keep this quite coarse, with more texture, or blend until very smooth and creamy.

Add the chopped parsley and pulse a few times. Taste, adjust salt and heat.

To serve, place in bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with parsley and crushed nutsif you like.

Notes

Extra Heat: Feel free to add fresh chilies to the cooking/roasting onion-pepper mixture. Or rehydrated dried chilies to the food processor.

5-minute version: Substitute jarred or canned Roasted Peppers (one cup, drained) (In this case, simply brown the onions and garlic on the stovetop- or use 1-2 teaspoons of each, granulated.

Store in a sealed jar, covering the sauce with a layer of olive oil to prevent discoloring.

The vinegar extends its shelf life- and will keep for 10 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 75
  • Sugar: 1.4 g
  • Sodium: 296.3 mg
  • Fat: 7.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 2.9 g
  • Fiber: 0.8 g
  • Protein: 0.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: romesco sauce, how to make romesco sauce, romesco sauce recipe, the best romesco sauce, easy romesco, what is romesco sauce

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Comments

  1. Wow – this is so, so good. For those who haven’t made it yet, don’t deviate from the recipe. It’s perfect as-is. Thanks so much!

    Reply

    1. Glad you enjoyed!

      Reply

  2. Thanks for another great recipe!

    Reply

  3. Sylvia!!!
    Another 5 star recipe…. so easy and sooooo delicious!!!
    I served this with Gluten-free spaghetti and it was a HUGE hit!
    Thank you very much for sharing!!!
    Judy

    Reply

    1. Yay!!! Great to hear. Thanks for sharing! 🙌

      Reply

  4. My husband said this is the best thing I have ever made for him – and we’ve been together 12 years so there’s a lot of competition!

    Reply

    1. Wow!That is amazing!

      Reply

  5. What a fantastic condiment. So many uses. Just love this with tapas.

    Reply

    1. So happy you like it! Yes, a good one!

      Reply

  6. I made this for Christmas with the t
    roasted potatoes and the moment I taste-tested it I knew it was just like my favorite Muhammara dip at a Mediterranean restaurant that I used to go to 10 years ago. I am *so* happy to find this version bc nothing I tried at restaurants or at home came close to this before. So, so good!!! Love all your recipes, thank you.

    Reply

    1. So happy you enjoyed this!!!

      Reply

  7. Delicious and tasted very close to the romesco we fell in love with in Barcelona!

    Reply

    1. So glad you liked it!

      Reply

  8. Pretty darned good! I made it twice – the second time I also added pine nuts – yowsa! So good!

    Reply

  9. Sylvia,

    This recipe is incredible I love it. As usual your recipes are amazing and so many of them are prepared regularly in my house making our everyday meals soooo good ! A huge thankyou!

    Annette.

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much Annette!

      Reply

  10. Sound very interesting and tasty. Will make it.

    Reply

  11. Love the romesco sauce! Tried the sweet potato balls, but had a hard time getting them formed–very gloopy. Next time, might try to refrigerate to firm up the mixture before coating with flour and searing. Other suggestions would be appreciated!

    Thanks for great ideas 🙂

    Reply

  12. I made this when it was first posted. Most delicious!

    Reply

  13. looks delish! beautiful photographs!

    Reply

  14. Wow that looks delicious…..Really need to give this a try…

    Simon

    Reply

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Simple Romesco Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is romesco made of? ›

It is typically made from any mixture of roasted tomatoes and garlic, toasted almonds, pine nuts, and/or hazelnuts, olive or sunflower oil, and nyora peppers (capsicum annuum, a sun-dried, small, round variety of red bell pepper). Flour or ground stale bread may be used as a thickener or to provide texture.

What do you do with Romesco sauce? ›

Romesco sauce
  1. on top of roasted veg (particularly slices of grilled aubergine or roast potatoes)
  2. as a dip.
  3. stirred into pasta or rice.
  4. dolloped on top of soup or a veggie stew.
  5. as a toast topper or in a sandwich or wrap.
  6. drizzled over steamed dark green veggies like seasonal greens or kale.
Feb 7, 2023

What does a romesco sauce taste like? ›

What does Romesco sauce taste like? Romesco has a lightly sweet and zippy flavor, with hints of garlic and smoky flavors, and a touch of spice. It's once of those sauces that adds the perfect amount of flavor to almost any dish.

What's in Trader Joe's Romesco sauce? ›

It's Trader Joe's Romesco Dip.

“This bright and zesty Spanish inspired sauce is made with roasted red peppers, tomatoes and crushed almonds,” the label helpfully explains. Zesty is right. Garlic, vinegar, parsley, and crushed red pepper see to that.

Why is it called Romesco sauce? ›

Origins of Romesco Sauce Romesco originates from Tarragona in Southern Catalonia. The term 'romesco' comes from the Mozarabic “remescolar,” meaning "to mix." This sauce was first made by fishermen in the 15th century using simple ingredients like garlic, dry peppers, olive oil, dry bread, and wine.

What is the difference between Romanesco and romesco? ›

Confusing? One thing that Romesco and Romanesco have in common is that both are from the Mediterranean. Romesco is a Spanish sauce and Romanesco is an Italian 16th-century heirloom type of cauliflower in the cruciferous family that includes cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and kale.

What sauce is made from bell peppers? ›

Romesco Sauce Recipe Ingredients

Roasted red bell peppers – They add a sweet, smoky flavor to this brilliant orange sauce. Use jarred roasted red peppers, or make your own. Tomato paste – Traditional romesco sauce recipes call for roasted tomatoes, but I like to use tomato paste for a quick and easy shortcut.

What is XO sauce good for? ›

I put XO sauce in everything. It's great in stir-fries and soups, it elevates noodle dishes, it's great with eggs, I love it through fried rice and I even use it on plain steamed rice for a salty, umami hit. It works great with steamed fish and adds an edge to dumpling dipping sauces.

What is Arby sauce? ›

Arby's Sauce is kind of like ketchup and kind of like barbeque sauce, but it technically isn't either. It's made with tomatoes and vinegar in the same manner as ketchup and barbeque sauce are, but it differs just enough that the sauce stands on its own instead of tasting like a repackaged ketchup or barbeque sauce.

What is the most spicy sauce in the world? ›

The most extreme heat you can buy? The hottest hot sauce in the world is called Mad Dog 357 Plutonium No. 9 and comes in at 9 million Scoville Hotness Units (SHUs).

What is Arby's sauce supposed to taste like? ›

On the other end of the spectrum, you have Arby's Sauce. This one is a tomato and vinegar-based sauce — almost like a cross between ketchup and barbecue. Arby's Sauce has a signature taste without being too far removed from what customers already know and love, making it unique and craveable.

How many calories are in romesco? ›

Lulu
Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 2 Tbsp (30g)
How many calories are in Romesco Sauce? Amount of calories in Romesco Sauce: Calories 69.9Calories from Fat 54 (77.3%)
% Daily Value *
How much fat is in Romesco Sauce? Amount of fat in Romesco Sauce: Total Fat 6g-
15 more rows

Does Trader Joe's still sell romesco sauce? ›

Trader Joes Romesco Dip Discontinued | TikTok. Trader joes haul ..

What is Cacio e Pepe Trader Joe's? ›

Cacio e Pepe [say: kah-cheeoh eh peh-peh] is a deceptively simple Italian pasta dish that you may have seen on the menu the last time you visited a Rome-inspired restaurant. The name just means, “cheese and pepper,” and that pretty much sums it up.

What is jarred roasted red peppers? ›

Jarred roasted red peppers are exactly what they sound like: red bell peppers that are roasted until charred and blistered on the outside, then peeled to reveal the vegetable's tender flesh.

What to eat with romesco sauce? ›

Romesco Sauce! Ready in 5 minutes and perfect for serving with grilled chicken, vegetables, crispy potatoes, eggs, and more.

What is red pepper jelly made of? ›

Pepper jelly is a preserve made with peppers, sugar, and salt in a pectin or vinegar base. The product, which rose in popularity in the United States from the 1980s to mid-1990s, can be described as a piquant mix of sweetness and heat, and is used for meats and as an ingredient in various food preparations.

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