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Active Time
20 min
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Total Time
40 min
This dip is our version of a Catalan sauce that has many variations and tastes great with almost any type of grilled meat or fish. It's worth the extra trouble to use hazelnuts (which need peeling), as well as almonds. Even though 2 tablespoons of hazelnuts seems a small amount, they round out the flavor of the sauce.
Ingredients
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Line a small baking pan with foil.
Step 2
Roast tomato in pan until tender and skin peels off easily, about 30 minutes.
Step 3
While tomato is roasting, slit chile open lengthwise and discard stem and seeds, then tear chile into small pieces. Heat oil in an 8- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then add chile and cook, stirring, until fragrant and chile turns a brighter red, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer chile with a slotted spoon to a heatproof bowl. Add hazelnuts to skillet along with almonds, bread, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until bread and garlic are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mixture (including oil) to chile in bowl and cool slightly.
Step 4
Peel tomato, then coarsely chop and transfer (with juices) to a food processor. Add bread and chile mixture, pimientos, water, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and purée until smooth. Thin with water if desired and season with salt.
Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving. *Available at Latino markets, many supermarkets, and kitchenmarket.com.
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Reviews (8)
Back to TopI have followed this recipe several times and it is absolutely delicious! Last night, I realized that I was missing the tomato and almonds, so I just used about 2-3 tbsps of tomato paste and substituted almond meal, and it still turned out great. I never peel/toast the hazelnuts (I buy from Trader Joe's and they are partially peeled already). Instead, I fry the nuts in the hot oil for a couple of minutes until golden brown before adding the dried chili. Turns out great every time. I've also found that almost any jarred red pepper works well with this recipe if you don't specifically have pimentos. This sauce is one of my favorites!
kim325
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2016
Made this last week while on vacation near Barcelona -- seemed appropriate -- and everyone raved. Couldn't find hazelnuts so used more almonds in their place. Was delicious over grilled zucchini and eggplant, fish, and chicken.
Anonymous
Portland, OR
7/28/2012
This was easy and delicious. I did not have hazelnuts so I used walnuts and I did not blanch the almonds, just toasted them whole with the walnuts. I used a homemade gluten free artisan bread and also added artichoke hearts. I did not use pimientos. The flavor was amazing. I took it to the owner and chef of the Italian restaurant next to my office and they couldn't get enough of it. I used it for a dipping sauce for chickpea fries that I made. So good together. It also was great spread on the same bread that I used in the recipe. http://divatasticgladiator.com/chickpea-fries
akazooey
Littleton, Co
6/22/2012
Delicioso! I only used almonds and used canned tomato and store bought roasted red peppers. I concur that the 'chop' setting is preferable to the 'blend' because it maintains a good texture that way.
bcappe2
ny, ny
3/4/2011
I've never had romesco sauce before, so I have no basis for comparison, but I thought that this was delicious. It was wonderful with grilled shrimp and grilled orange roughy, and it will probably be just as good with grilled pork (I'll try that soon). I forgot to toast the hazelnuts and rub off the skins, and I also forgot to add the almonds when I was supposed to (I added them to the stuff in the food processor), and the sauce still turned out just fine. I don't think that this was especially time-consuming because a lot of steps, like the roasting of the tomato, are not active time. I would highly recommend this recipe, as opposed to the less authentic-seeming recipes that contain things like roasted red peppers. I'm going to freeze my leftovers in 2 ounce plastic ramekins and defrost them as I need them, just like I do with pesto. This then becomes a quick and convenient sauce.
Anonymous
Baltimore
6/10/2009
This is amazing!! I am so excited to try this with all types of meats etc... what a great and versatile sauce. I roasted some tomato sauce in lieu of tomatoes. I used all almonds bc I had no hazelnuts on hand. I also added a clove of raw garlic during pureeing to add a little more kick. I made some small turkey meatballs and simmered the browned meatballs in the sauce to warm it all before serving and the sauce really changed. It mellowed a lot (the vinegar cooked off?) but it was delicious. I'll be sure to try the recipe as written next time as I am wondering if it really different with hazelnuts.
kissmygrits
Chicago
5/18/2009
DELICIOUS. I used one can (14.5 oz.) of Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, a staple in my pantry, in lieu of a fresh tomato. Fire Roasted flavor completmented chili flavor. Next time I will not rub the skins off from the hazelnuts....hey, the Romesco goes into the food processor along with tomatoe, why bother? Do not over blend; prettier with plenty of texture. I did NOT add the 1/4 tsp salt and neither my wife nor I salted at the table. Served Romesco Sauce over low-fat oven-fried Tilapia baked on a Silpat and combination was hearty and healthy. Romesco requires just a few minutes to prepare. Rich flavors.
jeff352
Cear Key, Gulf Coast, Florida
5/22/2008
Absolutely delicious! Full of flavour--the nuts are essential.
Anonymous
Toronto
4/7/2006
