My favorite dipping sauce is called salsa romesco, or romesco sauce. This traditional Catalan sauce is made with roasted tomatoes, garlic, ñora peppers, almonds, and hazelnuts. There are as many salsa romesco recipes as there are cooks–and I truly believe that this recipe is the perfect combination of quick, easy, and delicious!
Try these other amazing Spanish sauce recipes: salsa de tomate (tomato sauce), mojo verde, and mojo picón.
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Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to whip up a mouthwatering batch of romesco sauce? Here’s the key ingredients you’ll need for this Spanish sauce!
- Dried Ñora Peppers: Try to order these mild red dried peppers online if you can; they really add a wonderful flavor to the sauce! You can use regular dried peppers (not hot ones) or even roasted red peppers if you’re in a pinch.
- Tomatoes: Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Nuts: A mixture of almonds and hazelnuts add a rich toasted flavor and also thicken the sauce.
- Bread: Use lightly stale and toasted hearty white or whole wheat bread to thicken the sauce when it’s blended.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Romesco Sauce
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Hydrate the ñora peppers by soaking them in water overnight. You can speed this up by boiling them for 15 minutes. (image 1)
- Dry out the bread for a few hours in advance if possible, then toast it in the oven until golden. (image 2)
- Let the bread cool, then remove the crusts and cut into small pieces. (image 3)
- Cut a couple of slits in the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and roast them along with the head of garlic at 400°F (200°C) for about 35 minutes. (image 4)
- Roast the nuts in the oven until golden and fragrant, stirring every couple of minutes. They should cook in about 5 minutes. (image 5)
- Let everything cool down, then blend all the ingredients together until well combined, but not puréed. (image 6)
- Add more vinegar, salt, or cayenne as desired. (image 7)
- Enjoy salsa romesco with roasted vegetables, in a sandwich, or just on bread. (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
Romesco sauce is made from a tangy, zippy mixture of roasted tomatoes and garlic, dried red ñora peppers, toasted bread, almonds, hazelnuts, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and cayenne pepper.
Romesco sauce has a bright, tangy flavor with hints of smokiness and sweetness from the roasted vegetables. It has a thick texture from the blended nuts and bread, which makes it perfect for dipping or spreading.
This thick, tangy Spanish sauce gets its name from remescolar, which is the Mozarabic word for “to mix”. This sauce was first created in the 1400s by fishermen in Valls, the capital of the Spanish province Tarragona.
Romesco sauce tastes wonderful with roasted vegetables (especially with the special Catalonian spring onions called calçots), in a sandwich, or simply spread on a slice of bread. Traditionally, it is served with seafood or roasted meats as well.
Serve
In Spain, romesco sauce is usually served as a dipping sauce with grilled vegetables. In Catalonia, it’s especially popular in January and February for the big calçotadas: barbecues celebrating a delicious and local spring onion called the calçot.
While many consider the dipping sauce for calçots to be a romesco sauce, others say it’s a totally different thing called salsa calçots. In my opinion, it’s pretty similar, and totally delicious.
Expert Tips
- Can’t find ñora peppers? Any sweet, slightly smoky dried pepper will work in this recipe.
- If possible, use Marcona almonds in this recipe for an extra Spanish touch!
- Store in the fridge for 5-7 days in an airtight container.
Romesco Sauce (Salsa Romesco)
This delicious and easy romesco sauce (salsa romesco) recipe is my all-time favorite dipping sauce! Nutty and delicious, this traditional Spanish sauce is a must-try!
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Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 252.07kcal
Instructions
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Hydrate the ñoras the day prior by soaking them in water, then remove the stem and seeds. Alternatively, boil the peppers for 15 minutes; it isn’t quite the same, but it works!
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Dry the bread out a few hours in advance if possible, then toast until golden brown. Let cool, remove the crusts, and cut into smaller cubes.
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Cut a few small slits in the plum tomatoes and drizzle them with olive oil. Roast them and the garlic at 400°F (200°C) for about 35 minutes.
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Roast the nuts on a baking sheet until golden, about 5 minutes, moving them around every couple of minutes. Watch them closely!
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Let everything cool down, then blend all the ingredients together in a blender until uniform, but not puréed. Add more vinegar, salt, and cayenne to taste.
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Enjoy the sauce with roasted vegetables, or on a sandwich.
Notes
- Can’t find ñora peppers? Any sweet, slightly smoky dried pepper will work in this recipe.
- If possible, use Marcona almonds in this recipe for an extra Spanish touch!
- Store in the fridge for 5-7 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 252.07kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.77g | Protein: 2.01g | Fat: 25.3g | Saturated Fat: 3.29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.99g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18.25g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 27.2mg | Potassium: 137.7mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 1.45g | Vitamin A: 276.27IU | Vitamin C: 6.16mg | Calcium: 29.2mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
