Romesco Sauce

What is Romesco?

Romesco sauce hails from Tarragona, a coastal city in Catalonia, Spain, just south of Barcelona. Traditionally, its key ingredients include nuts like almonds or hazelnuts, tomatoes, dried peppers, garlic, bread, olive oil, and vinegar, all blended into a thick paste.

This flavorful sauce is incredibly versatile. You can pair it with a wide range of dishes—meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, sandwiches, soups, or simply spread it on toasted bread. It can be customized to your taste, whether you prefer it thick or thin, chunky or smooth, spicy or mild.

Romesco can also be stirred into stews and braises, adding a depth of flavor that enhances any dish. It works well with pasta, rice, or even thinned out as a dressing for salads.

Yield: Serves 4

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

• 2-3 ripe tomatoes, different varieties, cored
• 1 head of garlic
• 50g dried ñora peppers
• 1 slice stale bread
• 25ml sherry vinegar
• 75g toasted almonds (preferably marcona)
• 40ml olive oil
• Salt to taste
• IL MIG+ hot sauce, to taste

Directions

1. Roast Tomatoes and Garlic: In a 350ºF oven, roast the cored tomatoes and garlic after drizzling with olive oil. Roast until tender, then let cool.
2. Rehydrate the Ñora Peppers: Rehydrate ñora peppers by pouring boiling water over them and letting them sit for about 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the Peppers: Drain the ñora, remove the seeds, stems, and scrape the flesh from the skin. Set the flesh aside.
4. Extract Tomato and Garlic Flesh: Remove the flesh from the roasted tomatoes and set aside. Squeeze the soft garlic from the head and set aside.
5. Grind Almonds: Toast the almonds until lightly browned and add them to a mortar and pestle. Slowly grind until a rough paste forms.
6. Add Oil, Vinegar, and Bread: Drizzle small amounts of olive oil and sherry vinegar into the almond paste, gradually adding the stale bread to hydrate the mixture.
7. Combine the Ingredients: Once a thick paste has formed, begin adding the tomatoes, ñora flesh, and garlic. Keep adding vinegar and oil as needed to maintain a smooth consistency.
8. Season and Add IL MIG+: Season to taste with salt and add IL MIG+ hot sauce for spice. Adjust seasoning as needed.