Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 roasted red bell peppers, jarred or home-roasted, drained
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1/3 cup whole almonds
• 2 tablespoons blanched hazelnuts
• 1 slice stale baguette or country bread, crust removed
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0 freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves on a small baking sheet.

2. 2

   Roast the tomatoes and garlic until softened and lightly charred, about 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.

   20:00 · Roast tomatoes and garlic
3. 3

   Meanwhile, heat a dry 9-inch skillet over medium heat and toast the almonds and hazelnuts, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

   4:00 · Toast nuts
4. 4

   In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat and fry the bread slice until golden and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

   4:00 · Fry bread
5. 5

   Once cooled slightly, peel the roasted garlic cloves and peel the skins from the tomatoes if they slip off easily.

6. 6

   In a food processor, combine the roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, toasted nuts, fried bread, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

7. 7

   Pulse until mostly smooth with some texture remaining, scraping down the sides as needed.

8. 8

   With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil until the sauce is emulsified and spoonable.

9. 9

   Taste and adjust salt, vinegar, or pepper flakes as needed. Transfer to a jar and let flavors meld at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.