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Salsa romesco is an authentic Catalan sauce made from roasted tomatoes, red peppers, almonds, hazelnuts, and ñora paste, creating a nutty, smoky condiment that works equally well on grilled vegetables, meats, or fish. This simplified version captures traditional Spanish flavors while remaining accessible to home cooks anywhere.
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Preheat the oven to 390F.
Place the tomatoes, red pepper, onion, and garlic in aluminum foil. Drizzle the vegetables in one tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Close the aluminum foil and cook in the oven for about 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender and juicy.
While the vegetables are cooking you can use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to crush the almonds, hazelnuts, and dried bread until smooth.
After the vegetables have cooled, peel them with your hands, removing the skins from the tomatoes, peppers, and garlic.
In a large bowl, combine the roasted vegetables and the crushed bread and nuts.
Add in the ñora paste or tomato paste.
Add in ½ cup of olive oil, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
Using a hand blender, immersion blender, or food processor, blend the Romesco sauce until smooth.
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before serving; flavors deepen over time.
mortar and pestle or food processor (for crushing nuts and bread) · hand blender or immersion blender (for final blending)
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Ancho chillies paste or tomato paste work as substitutes. Ñora paste provides the most authentic smoky flavor, but tomato paste offers a milder alternative if you can't find it.
Yes. Store romesco in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavors actually deepen over time, making it ideal for batch preparation.
Roast at 390°F for about 50 minutes until the tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic are tender and juicy. They should be soft enough to peel by hand when cooled.
Yes, this recipe is completely vegan. It contains only roasted vegetables, nuts, bread, olive oil, vinegar, and paste—no animal products.
Dried bread works best because it absorbs the sauce without becoming mushy. Fresh bread will create a thinner, wetter consistency. Use bread from a few days prior.
