Find a Recipe!

Just a Little Bit of Bacon

where comfort food meets the farm stand

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • beverages
    • desserts
    • grilling and bbq
    • main courses
    • quick dinners
    • side dishes
    • soups and stews
  • mediterranean recipes
    • italian recipes
      • italian comfort food
      • italian antipasti
      • fundamentals of italian cooking
    • spanish recipes
      • spanish tapas
    • french recipes
      • french comfort food
    • greek recipes
  • holiday favorites
    • christmas
    • easter dinner
    • thanksgiving feast
  • resources
    • dinner and party menus
    • farmers’ market
      • ingredient spotlight
    • roundup post
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Easy Classic Romesco Sauce

October 7, 2018 By justalittlebitofbacon 6 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

You are just five minutes and a few ingredients away from one of my absolute favorite sauces – classic romesco sauce! And when I say it’s an easy romesco sauce, it is. Also, it has so much flavor! It perks up any dish you serve it with, and you can serve with a lot of different dishes. Grilled meats? Potatoes? Bread? Shrimp? Vegetables? All of these and more.

Top view of a white bowl of spicy Spanish romesco sauce with spoon nearby.

Hello, all!

I hope your day is going well.

Do you love quick and easy sauces and dressings as much as I do? I think you do, since you are here reading about one of my favorite quick sauces.

There is nothing like a flavorful sauce to perk up a whole meal. As long as I have a few ingredients in the house, I can whip one of these up at the last minute when I’m looking at dinner and saying ‘this needs something,’ which is a thought that occurs to me rather more often than I would wish. šŸ™‚

Half the time I have dinner all planned out and I know what I’m going to do, and the other half? I’m making it up as I go along. Sauces like this really help the making it up process! Keep a few ingredients on hand for your favorite sauces and you can take the random items in your fridge and pantry and turn them into dinner. Like you planned it. And I won’t tell your secret.

And romesco sauce is the perfect something for so many recipes that it’s one of my go-tos on a regular basis.

Serving Ideas

  • As a sauce for swordfish kebabs or other fish (this is the classic use for romesco sauce)
  • Grilled pork kebabs (pinchos morunos), other grilled meats and chicken
  • Part of a tapas platter to dip veggies – like fried cauliflower
  • In a Spanish grilled pork tenderloin platter
  • A spread for a wrap
  • Dipping sauce for fried shrimp fritters or other fritters
  • Stirred into soups and pasta sauces

Oooh, or how about roasted potatoes? Or in your omelet in the morning? There are so many dishes which could use a little romesco pick me up that you should totally go in the kitchen and make and batch and give it a try!

Top view of a spoon of sauce held above a bowl of romesco.

One thing classic romesco sauce can’t do though, is make pictures of red sauce in a green bowl look good. Well…I guess the pictures were good but they weren’t great.

The thing about green and red is that they enhance each other. Greens look greener and reds look redder. This can be fine in real life. Or at Christmas. But not so much in food photos!

Just look at the difference between my new photos and my old photos. This is the same recipe made the same way simply using a different bowl. In case you’re thinking, nah she did something, I actually took some photos of the sauce I made today in the green bowl and it looked just as deep red in the photos. Moved everything to the white bowl and now my sauce looks like it does in real life.

So there’s your food photography tip of the day! Don’t take photos of red food in green bowls or plates.

Collage of old photos from the original post.

What do you need?

  • Roasted Red Peppers – You will need one roasted pepper for the recipe. I use a 7 oz jar.
  • Slivered Almonds – Get almonds without their skins, slivered are usually sold that way so that’s what I buy.
  • Bread – One slice of the sandwich bread of your choice, nothing too nutty/seedy.
  • Spices – Paprika, ancho chile powder, jalapeno, and garlic.
  • Olive Oil/Sherry Vinegar – A little of each for balance.

How to make this

To make classic romesco sauce combine bread, almonds, roasted red peppers, hot peppers, spices, olive oil, and vinegar in a food processor. Blend to make a smooth sauce.

  1. Toast the almonds and bread until lightly browned.
  2. Dice up a jalapeno and some garlic.
  3. Add all the ingredients to a food processor.
  4. Blend until smooth.

Step by step on how to make the recipe.

This sauce is seriously a ‘dump everything in the food processor, blend, and eat’ sort of recipe.

Okay, you do have make toast with the bread (not difficult!) and toast up some almonds. For the almonds, heat your oven to 350F. Spread out the almonds on a tray and bake them for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the almonds are doing their thing, dice up the garlic and hot pepper, drain the roasted red peppers, and measure out the spices. Then put everything into your food processor and blend until (mostly) smooth. I like a little texture in my romesco so I don’t worry about getting it completely smooth.

Tip: If you like a really smooth romesco sauce, use the the blender. Since there are a lot of dry ingredients, blend the peppers and olive oil first, then add the rest and continue until smooth.

Close up of a while bowl of romesco sauce with a spoon of the sauce nearby.

If you are looking for more ideas for quick and easy sauces and dips, I have a few!

Quick Sauces and Dips

  • Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
  • Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Spicy Green Goddess Buttermilk Dressing
  • Blueberry Vinaigrette
  • Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip
  • Chimichurri  

Each of these sauces is quickly made in the blender or food processor, uses a mix of fresh and pantry ingredients (in the case of the fruit dressings you can use frozen fruit!), and has a variety of uses.

They can be dips or salad dressings. Some are great marinades. Any can be used to perk up a sandwich or wrap. Making some simple roasted potatoes or veggies or maybe some grilled or roasted meats? A quick sauce is what you need!


If you try my recipe for Classic Romesco Sauce, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Classic romesco sauce is an easy and quick Spanish recipe made from roasted peppers and almonds. Great with fish, cauliflower, steak, chicken and more. So many different uses! | justalittlebitofbacon.com #romescosauce #spanishrecipe #sauces #almonds #redpeppers
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Easy Classic Romesco Sauce

Classic romesco sauce is an easy and quick Spanish recipe made from roasted peppers and almonds. Great with fish, cauliflower, steak, chicken and more. So many different uses!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time3 mins
Total Time8 mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Spanish
Keyword: classic romesco sauce
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 400kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 1 7-oz jar roasted red pepper, drained
  • 1 slice sandwich bread, lightly toasted
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded
  • 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Notes

  • Almonds: Toast the slivered almonds for 3 minutes at 350F.
  • To mellow the garlic: If you don't like a strong garlic flavor, cook the garlic in boiling water for 30 seconds before adding it to the food processor.
  • Jalapenos: If you can't get/don't have fresh jalapenos, you can substitute in slices of pickled jalapenos.

First published January 2016. Rewritten, expanded, and rephotographed.

Red sauce in a small white bowl with text overlay - Classic Romesco Sauce.
Red sauce on a spoon and in a bowl with text overlay - Classic Romesco Sauce.

Related Posts:

  • Gluten Free Chickpea Shrimp Fritters
    Gluten Free Chickpea Shrimp Fritters
  • Grilled Spanish Swordfish Kebabs
    Grilled Spanish Swordfish Kebabs
  • Sheet Pan Chicken with Vegetables and Potatoes
    Sheet Pan Chicken with Vegetables and Potatoes
  • Pan Fried Spanish Cauliflower Tapas
    Pan Fried Spanish Cauliflower Tapas
  • 5 Minute Tapenade Mayonnaise
    5 Minute Tapenade Mayonnaise
  • Tangy and Vibrant Chimichurri Sauce
    Tangy and Vibrant Chimichurri Sauce

Filed Under: 10 ingredients or less, 15 minutes or less, mediterranean recipes, recipe, sauces and condiments, savory bites, spanish recipes, spanish tapas, vegan, vegetable dishes, vegetarian Tagged With: bread, garlic, nuts, peppers, roasted red peppers

« Kale, Chickpea and Roasted Delicata Squash Salad
Grilled Spanish Swordfish Kebabs »

Follow me on:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Don’t miss a post!

Get new recipes in your inbox every week!

Disclosure:

Justalittlebitofbacon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Comments

  1. RaChelle says

    April 28, 2020 at 3:44 am

    5 stars
    I wanted to make this for the cauliflower recipe you posted. Thanks to quarantine, it took me weeks to gather everything. This romesco sauce is a delight! I can tell it is versatile.

    I’m going to add this recipe into my regular rotation!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      April 29, 2020 at 4:03 pm

      I hear you on it being difficult to get ingredients these days! And, yes, the sauce is versatile – I use it on so many things myself. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Krisann Wampler says

    January 18, 2020 at 2:58 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Love this on everything — even alone on crackers!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      January 18, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      Awesome! And I agree with you on the crackers. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Sandy @ The Girl Loves To Eat says

    January 27, 2016 at 11:11 am

    5 stars
    That looks mouth-watering, Annemarie! Definitely need to try that…

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      January 27, 2016 at 1:09 pm

      Thanks! It’s a favorite of ours. šŸ™‚

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

Don’t miss a post!

Sign up here to have new recipes delivered to your inbox every week.

Follow me on:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Summer Love

Baked Sliced Tomato Gratin - Fresh, summer tomatoes are best cooked simply like in this tomato gratin of sliced tomatoes layered with olive oil and herbs and then topped with parmesan breadcrumbs. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Baked Sliced Tomato Gratin with Parmesan Breadcrumbs

Looking for the best potato salad? Then you need to try my potato salad with olives and capers all tossed together with a homemade mayonnaise. Lemony, creamy, buttery, and tangy!

Potato Salad with Olives and Capers

Strawberry Ricotta Crostata - This naturally sweetened crostata is a fun and relaxed take on pie, full of fresh strawberries, creamy ricotta, and brushed with honey. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Strawberry Ricotta Crostata

Fresh Peach Buckle Cake - This fresh peach buckle is a wonderful, homey fruit dessert which is tender and moist and packed full of peaches. Great for dessert, for breakfast, or for a mid-day snack. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Fresh Peach Buckle Cake

Layered Frozen Strawberry Lime Daiquiri - This frozen strawberry daiquiri is all about intense fruit flavor from frozen strawberries pureed with rum and lime juice. For an extra festive touch make some lime daiquiri too and layer it on top of the strawberry daiquiri. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Layered Frozen Strawberry and Lime Daiquiri

Mascarpone Fruit Tart - This fruit tart is filled a mixture of mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, and heavy cream all of which is whipped up and sweetened with maple syrup. It is then topped with mixed berries and brushed with a simple apricot jelly glaze. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Mascarpone Fruit Tarts with Mixed Berries

Reader Favorites

Cold sweet potato salad is topped with dried cranberries and pecans, then tossed with a maple syrup and mustard dressing. Perfect for summertime picnics and for the Thanksgiving table. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Cold Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

My Favorite Bread and Sausage Stuffing - This classic combination of bread, pork sausage, aromatics, and lots of sage produces a stuffing that says Thanksgiving to me. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

My Favorite Sausage Bread Stuffing

Rich & Complex Traditional Bolognese Sauce - A long, slow simmer builds layers of flavor and makes this Bolognese sauce so rich and complex! Meaty, silky, and hearty. This is a sauce worth having on your stove all day long. Make some for today and freeze some for tomorrow. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Rich & Complex Traditional Bolognese Sauce

Pan Fried Spanish Cauliflower Tapas - These breaded fried cauliflower bites are a simple and tasty tapas dish you should make at your next get-together! Just a quick dunking in egg and breadcrumbs and a minute in a skillet and you are all done. Can be made ahead and reheated! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Pan Fried Spanish Cauliflower Tapas

Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup - Comforting, creamy, cheesy, and now even easier to make, this potato leek soup delivers all the flavor for only minutes of work. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Cheesy Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup

Parmesan Truffle Fries - Use frozen, bagged fries to have tasty truffle fries, covered in truffle oil, parmesan, and parsley on the table in less than 15 minutes. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Quick and Easy Parmesan Truffle Fries

Copyright © 2022 — Just a Little Bit of Bacon • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy • Disclaimer

Genesis Framework • Foodie Pro Theme • by Shay Bocks