Not Just for the Fish…
A Bit of History
Traditional Romesco sauce hails from the Catalonia region of Spain, known as Tarragona. Originally, fisherman concocted this sauce to accompany their daily catch. Using a mortar and pestle, the locals ground stale bread, almonds or hazelnuts, roasted tomatoes, garlic, and Nyroa red peppers with olive oil. Nyroa peppers, sweet with a ton of flavor, are more commonly used than chili peppers in Spanish cuisine. Similar to paella, every region and local village in Spain follows a slightly different recipe. My Easy Romesco Sauce Recipe adheres to this tradition by incorporating locally grown peanuts and sweet red peppers.
About the Recipe: Easy Romesco Sauce
Easy, versatile recipes that taste fabulous with a variety of foods are my favorites. Romesco sauce requires just two easy steps: roasting and blending! I wanted to incorporate local flavors and ingredients for this sauce. Therefore, in lieu of almonds, I used local peanuts in my recipe for a wonderful and unique flavor.
I love making a big batch of Romesco sauce and storing containers of it in the freezer. During the hectic week, it is wonderful to pull out a jar of homemade sauce for a quick dinner. Romesco sauce tastes great over pasta, as a dip for a variety of vegetables including air fried potatoes and cauliflower, or with my Green Garlic Risotto Crackers. We also love to spread Romesco sauce on sandwiches and wraps; the possibilities are endless!
The gorgeous peppers, tomatoes, and Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe were provided by Rainbow Packaging Corporation, locally harvested and delivered the same day!
Easy Romesco Sauce with a Southern Twist
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 large red bell peppers, seeds removed and sliced in half
- 1/4 cup peanuts (raw and unsalted)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar
- salt to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 3 oz. day old bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place prepared tomatoes and peppers on a lined baking tray.
- Place peanuts In a separate container or tray for roasting.
- Roast peanuts for 10-15 minutes until beginning to brown and remove from oven.
- Continue roasting vegetables until charred about 25-30 minutes total.
- Transfer peanuts and roasted vegetables to a blender.
- Add garlic, balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of red pepper, and bread to the blender. Process until smooth.
- Taste and add more salt and red pepper if needed. To further thicken sauce add more bread if desired.