ROMESCO SAUCE RECIPE

This sauce is another one of our favorites.  It is called Romesco and originates in Spain.  Is has been said that fishermen originated it to serve as a sauce with seafood, but it's delicious with all types of dishes, meat, pasta, veggies, it's even great spread over a loaf of rustic bread.

There are many many variations, but they all have the same basic ingredients, bread, peppers, nuts, tomatoes, and garlic.

We try to make it at least once a month, and just eat it with whatever we happen to be eating for dinner when we make it.

Spanish Romesco Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 slice of stale, crusty bread, torn into pieces

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup of blanched almonds or hazelnuts

1 8-oz jar of roasted red peppers

1 15-oz can of crushed tomatoes with juice

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

3 Tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, saute the bread and almonds, stirring often until they begin to brown.  Add the garlic and saute a few more minutes.  Remove from heat.

Pour all into a food processor or blender, and add remaining ingredients, and puree untilsmooth.  Here comes the odd step.  Spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the edges just start to caramelize.    Yep, baking it this way adds a depth of flavor that really puts it over the top in taste.

Take out of the oven and scrape it off the sheet and into a container.


Just use it like any similar type of sauce or even pesto.


It's good!
Enjoy!