My favorite dipping sauce is called romesca sauceOR romesca sauce. This traditional Catalan sauce is made with roasted tomatoes, garlic, nora peppers, almonds and hazelnuts. There are just as many romesca sauce recipes as many as there are cooks – and I really believe it the recipe is the perfect combination of quick, easy and delicious!
Try these others fantastic recipes with Spanish sauce: tomato sauce, mojo verde and mojo picón.
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ingredients
You wonder what ingredients you need prepare a delicious portion of romesco sauce? Here are the key ingredients you’ll need for this Spanish salsa!
- Dried Ñora peppers: Try ordering these mild dried red peppers online if you can; They really add wonderful flavor to the sauce! You can use regular dried peppers (not the hot ones) or even roasted red peppers if you need.
- Tomatoes: Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Peanuts: A blend of almonds and hazelnuts adds a rich toasted flavor and also thickens the sauce.
- Bread: Use plenty of slightly stale, toasted white or wholemeal bread to thicken the sauce when blended.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Romesco Sauce
If you would like to see full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the end of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Hydrate the nora peppers soaking them in water overnight. You can speed up the process by boiling them for 15 minutes. (image 1)
- Dry the bread for a few hours before, if possible, then toast it in the oven until golden brown. (image 2)
- Leave the bread to cool, then remove the crusts and cut into small pieces. (image 3)
- Cut a couple of slits in the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and roast them together with the head of garlic at 200°C (400°F) for approximately 35 minutes. (image 4)
- Toast the nuts in the oven until golden and fragrant, stirring every couple of minutes. They should cook in about 5 minutes. (image 5)
- Let everything cool down then blend all the ingredients together until the mixture is well blended, but not smoothie. (image 6)
- Add more vinegar, salt or cayenne pepper as desired. (image 7)
- Enjoy the romesco sauce with roasted vegetables, in a sandwich or simply on bread. (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
Romesco sauce is made from a tangy, vibrant blend of roasted tomatoes and dried red garlic nora peppers, toast, almonds, hazelnuts, sherry vinegar, olive oil and cayenne pepper.
Romesco sauce has a bright, spicy flavor with hints of smokiness and sweetness from the roasted vegetables. It has a thick consistency due to the mixture of nuts and bread, making it perfect for dipping or spreading.
This thick, spicy Spanish sauce gives it its name collect, which is the Mozarabic word for “stir”. This sauce was first created in the 1400s by fishermen from Valls, the capital of the Spanish province of Tarragona.
Romesco sauce is delicious with roasted vegetables (especially the special Catalan onions called underwear), in a sandwich, or simply spread on a slice of bread. Traditionally it is also served with seafood or roast meats.
Serve
In Spain, Romesco sauce is usually served as a dipping sauce with grilled vegetables. In Catalonia it is particularly appreciated in the months of January and February for its great underwear: barbecues celebrating a delicious local spring onion called tea underwear.
While many consider the sauce for calçots to be a romesco sauce, others say it’s called something completely different calçots sauce. In my opinion, it’s quite similar and absolutely delicious.
Expert advice
- Can’t find ñora peppers? Any sweet, slightly smoky dried pepper will work in this recipe.
- If possible, use Marcona almonds in this recipe for an extra Spanish twist!
- Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days in an airtight container.
Romesca sauce
This delicious and easy romesco sauce (romesco sauce) recipe is my absolute favorite dipping sauce! Nutty and delicious, this traditional Spanish sauce is a must try!
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Portions: 10 portions
Calories: 252.07kcal
Instructions
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Hydrate the ñoras the day before by soaking them in water, then remove the stem and seeds. Alternatively, boil the peppers for 15 minutes; It’s not quite the same, but it works!
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Dry the bread, if possible, a few hours before, then toast it until golden brown. Leave to cool, remove the crust and cut into smaller cubes.
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Cut a few small slits in the cherry tomatoes and drizzle them with olive oil. Roast them together with the garlic at 200°C for about 35 minutes.
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Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet until golden brown, about 5 minutes, moving them every couple of minutes. Look at them closely!
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Let everything cool, then blend all the ingredients in the mixer until the mixture is smooth but not pureed. Add more vinegar, salt, and cayenne to taste.
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Enjoy the sauce with roasted vegetables, or on a sandwich.
Notes
- Can’t find ñora peppers? Any sweet, slightly smoky dried pepper will work in this recipe.
- If possible, use Marcona almonds in this recipe for an extra Spanish twist!
- Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 252.07kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.77G | Protein: 2.01G | Fat: 25.3G | Saturated fats: 3.29G | Polyunsaturated fats: 2.99G | Monounsaturated fat: 6.25pmG | Trans fats: 0.001G | Sodium: 27.2mg | Potassium: 137.7mg | Fiber: 1.2G | Sugar: 1.45G | Vitamin A: 276.27UI | C vitamin: 6.16mg | Soccer: 29.2mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
