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The go-to "make everything delicious" sauce: Romesco!

Knowing how to make a couple of quick and delicious sauces is a great way to elevate the flavor of your meals without putting a crazy amount of extra time in. The bright red-orange beauty known as Romesco Sauce is one of my favorite quick and tasty sauces, coming together in about 5-minutes, and offering a flavor profile that is deliciously smoky, savory, and acidic.

Origins of Romesco Sauce

Romesco originated in Tarragona, Catalonia, a port city in the northeastern region of Spain. Fishermen in Tarragona made romesco sauce to be served with the fish they caught, which generally included roasted tomatoes, garlic, bixto peppers, olive oil, and nuts (commonly almonds, pine nuts, or hazelnuts).

My Romesco Sauce Ingredients

Roasted Red Peppers - These are incredibly easy to find at most grocery stores down the olive isle and offer a sweet and smoky spice to the sauce. You'll want to use a whole 16 oz jar for this recipe -- usually around 12 oz after draining the liquid.
Roasted Tomatoes - I prefer to use fire-roasted canned tomatoes for savoriness, acidity, and maximum smokiness.
Whole Roasted Almonds - Though you can use raw almonds, I prefer roasted almonds for their slightly toasted flavor. If you prefer, I think this Romesco sauce is also lovely with roasted hazelnuts too.
Garlic Oil - I personally don't tolerate whole garlic very well, so instead I use a great garlic-infused oil (This is the one I buy most often). If garlic isn't an issue for you, feel free to use fresh garlic cloves + olive oil. I've included a measurement for both options in the recipe below.
Italian Parsley - Also known as "flat-leaf" parsley, this herb is a staple in my house. Sick of quickly wilting leaves? Store it root-side down in a jar with 2 inches of water in the fridge and a plastic food storage bag over the top to keep your greens fresher, longer.
Apple Cider Vinegar - My go-to vinegar for so many recipes (This is the one I buy most often). If you don't have apple cider vinegar on hand, you can absolutely substitute for red wine vinegar.
Lemon Zest + Juice - This recipe uses both zest and juice to add pure lemon flavor and acidity to the sauce. Two of the most well-loved tools in my kitchen are my citrus zester and my citrus juicer.
Smoked Paprika - This adds additional smokiness to the sauce alongside the roasted tomatoes and peppers.
Cayenne Pepper - This ingredient is totally optional, but great if you want to add just the hint of a kick to your sauce. It's also perfectly delicious without the cayenne if that isn't your thing.
Kosher Salt - Good salt can make a world of difference in any dish. Diamond Crystal Kosher salt is a staple in my kitchen, but you can also use sea salt if that is your preference.
Cracked Black Pepper - Keeping peppercorns on hand for my grinder seems like such a simple thing, but it's so much better than the preground alternative. This is the pepper mill I use.

What to serve Romesco Sauce with

Romesco is an extremely versatile sauce that pairs well with everything from grilled and roasted veggies to fish, chicken, pork, steak, and tofu. This recipe makes about 32oz of sauce, so you should have plenty left over to add to additional dishes throughout the week. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:

In this Shrimp in Romesco Sauce with White Beans -- add a loaf of crusty bread to mop up all the saucy goodness!
Serve over the top of roasted potatoes -- Swap out the sauce in these Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce for this Romesco Sauce!
Swirl in a bowl of hummus or this Easy Labneh Cheese, add olives or chopped cucumber. Serve with crudites, pita chips, or bread.
Use it as a base sauce for pizza and flatbread. It's great on this Easy Same-Day Pizza Dough or this Zucchini Pizza Crust.
Sub pasta sauce for romesco for all noodles and zoodles. Add a dollop to this Pasta with Olive Tapenade recipe!
Drizzle it over top of a sheet pan dinner of roasted asparagus, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and your chosen protein.
Level up that rotisserie chicken you picked up on your way home. Drizzle, dip, and devour!
Slather it on a sandwich or in a wrap. It's particularly lovely with turkey, tuna, or halloumi.

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

A food processor -- OR -- high-powered blender
A cutting board
A chef's knife
A kitchen scale -- OR -- measuring cups (for less precise measurements)
Measuring spoons
A citrus zester
A citrus juicer
A can opener (unless using jarred tomatoes)

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

A note for special diets

This Romesco Sauce can easily be made friendly for grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, and vegetarian diets.

5-Minute Romesco Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 41 reviews

Author: Whip & Wander
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 32 oz 1x
Category: Sauces & Savory Condiments
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: Spanish
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Scale

16 oz jar fire-roasted red peppers, drained (12 oz without liquid)
6 (about 1 ½ cups or 341 g) whole fire-roasted canned tomatoes
157 g (about 1 cup) unsalted roasted almonds (may sub for roasted hazelnuts if you prefer)
3 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil -- OR -- 3 cloves garlic + 3 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoon zest + 5-6 tablespoon lemon juice)
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Add all ingredients to your food processor or high-powered blender. Pulse until the mixture has reached your desired level of smoothness. I like mine a little on the gravelly side because I like the texture, but you can blend until it's super smooth and creamy if you prefer. Use immediately or store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep for up to 10 days.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

10/7/21 This recipe was updated and may no longer fit specified dietary preferences from previous versions of this post.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ¼ cup
Calories: 75
Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 133 mg
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 2 g

Keywords: romesco, red pepper, sauce