Romesco Sauce
Romesco Sauce is a simple and delicious plant-based sauce that is filled with protein, nutrients and lots of yummy flavor! It is one of my favorite vegan sauces to make! This Easy Romesco Sauce recipe, made with cherry tomatoes and almonds, is super simple and goes with so many things.
Romesco, not to be confused with Romanesco (a type of broccoli), originated in Catalonia, Spain. Fishermen would make this sauce to serve over fish. And I totally agree, it is great on fish like pan seared salmon, grilled salmon or baked tilapia, or any seafood really. However, Romesco is great with so much more than just seafood! This versatile sauce can be served with a multitude of things! Use it as a dip or a spread or a topping for everything from bread and pasta to chicken and veggies. This Spanish tomato sauce is similar to pesto in texture and consistency, so you can serve it the same way.
Note: The printable recipe is located at the end of this post. Please visit The Scoop for my latest posts or you can search or browse my Recipe Index for more yummy recipes.
What is Romesco Sauce made of?
What is Romesco Sauce made of? Authentic Spanish Romesco is a tomato-based sauce. However, you may notice that a lot of people on the “interwebs” seem to think Romesco is made with red bell peppers. I am not really sure why. I think it might be because they look similar to nyora peppers, which are used in the authentic version of the sauce.
This version of Romesco is made with roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic, almonds, olive oil, and paprika. You can easily add in some roasted red bell peppers if you would like to. In my humble opinion, I do think that the tomatoes should be the prominent ingredient for it to be considered a true Romesco. However, since you will be eating it, the decision is yours.
My daughter and I planted tomatoes this spring on our deck and it has been an adventure! My daughter picked the cherry tomatoes from our deck garden to make the sauce and she was super excited to make something with our homegrown produce! This is our first year trying to be little farmers, so it really is exciting. We also used some of our tomatoes to make Roasted Ratatouille and Creamy Ratatouille Pasta, YUM!
How to make Easy Romesco Sauce
This Easy Romesco Sauce comes together with minimal effort for maximum flavor! You simply roast and blend. You can make it ahead and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. This recipe will make about 2 cups of sauce but you can easily double it.
First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the cherry tomatoes and minced garlic to the prepared baking sheet, with the tablespoon of fresh minced garlic in a pile in the center of the tomatoes so that it does not burn (see picture for example). Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Place the baking sheet on the center rack of your preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and add the raw almonds, drizzled with oil, to the sheet pan. Roast everything for an additional 7 minutes.
Carefully transfer the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and almonds to the food processor, then add the paprika, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and about 10 turns of ground pepper, or to taste.
Secure the lid and set to the lowest setting and blend for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides then blend for another 20 seconds, slowly pouring in the lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil through the feed tube. Scrape the sides and continue to blend in 20 second intervals until you reach your desired consistency.
Do a taste test and add any additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
I hope that you enjoy the Romesco Sauce!
Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup raw unsalted almonds
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the cherry tomatoes and minced garlic to the prepared baking sheet, with the tablespoon of fresh minced garlic in a pile in the center of the tomatoes so that it does not burn (see picture for example). Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack of your preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and add the raw almonds, drizzled with oil, to the sheet pan. Roast everything for an additional 7 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and almonds to the food processor, then add the paprika, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and about 10 turns of ground pepper, or to taste. Secure the lid and set to the lowest setting and blend for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides then blend for another 20 seconds, slowly pouring in the lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil through the feed tube. Scrape the sides and continue to blend in 20 second intervals until you reach your desired consistency.
- Do a taste test and add any additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @thesumofyum on Instagram
If you make this Romesco Sauce, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you and I truly appreciate your feedback! I will always do my best to respond to every comment ASAP. Thank you and happy cooking!