This Easy Romesco Sauce recipe is a fast blend of tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper, almond butter, and spices. It takes just 5 minutes to blend up and is packed with so much flavor!
Going to the school during the week means most of the cooking I do is reserved for weekends. Which means by Sunday night, our fridge is the holder of many colorfully tasty culinary experiments, squeezed into whatever jar or container I can find to hold them. And having a fridge full of experiments means that when the potential buyers of your home come look at the kitchen and ask if they can peek inside the fridge, I quietly hide behind a corner so as not to see their reaction to the living experiment that is the fridge.
Anyways, the boyfriend-tulip-man and I have finally got the ball rolling on moving into a bigger house. We’ve lived like two big hermit crabs in the same itty bitty shell for a year and a half and it’s about time we move into a bigger shell. Which means that (hopefully) soon I’ll have the space to experiment with every sauce under the sun. But until then, I’m sticking to the sauces I know and love. Case in point, this Easy Romesco Sauce.
How to Make Romesco Sauce Video
What is romesco sauce made of?
Romesco sauce is virtually foolproof. Coming from the Catalonia region of Spain, it’s a quick blend of roasted red pepper, roma tomatoes, lemon, garlic, almond butter, spices, and olive oil. Romesco sauce tastes creamy, rich, and a bit smoky, while being so much healthier than most sauces that taste this decadent! Plus, romesco is naturally vegan (though you would never guess it given how creamy it is).
How to make romesco sauce
To make romesco sauce, you literally just throw all your ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth and creamy. That’s it. You can roast your own peppers if you have time/motivation, but I usually prefer to just use roasted peppers from a jar!
What to serve romesco sauce with
Romesco sauce can be served with so many dishes. Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve it:
- Drizzled over roasted veggies (like these asparagus)
- In a macro bowl (like these Mediterranean bowls)
- As a dip for crusty bread
- As a pasta sauce (like with zucchini noodles)
- With a cheese platter (oh hi, cheese board)
Hungry for more dips and sauces? Try these!
- Hidden Spinach Guacamole
- Black Bean Dip
- Yum Sauce
- Babaga-hummus (Babaganoush + Hummus)
- Feta Tzatziki Sauce
- Healthy French Onion Dip
Ingredients
- 1 roasted red bell pepper
- 1 cup roma tomatoes about 3 tomatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil 60 mL
- 3 Tbsp almond butter 48 g
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp lemon juice 10 mL
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Blend: Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth.
- Serve: Serve warm or cold with just about anything…crackers, veggies, pasta, whatever!
Nutrition Information
STACEY says
Hi, What can be substituted for Almond Butter?
Sarah says
You could probably use a sunflower seed butter! Or pine nuts 🙂
Jack says
So was the bell pepper roasted? The image just shows a raw pepper.
Sarah says
Yep, use a roasted red bell pepper! 😀
Anne Tisdale says
This was great. Served it warm with vegetable pasta. I’m finding it extremely difficult to use the bar to adjust servings. It’s hard to move at times, other times it moves to quickly. Maybe it’s because I’m old and have arthritis. Has anyone else had a problem with this?
Sarah says
Hi Anne! Thanks for pointing this out – I’ll definitely look into it. I’m happy you like the romesco sauce!
Esmé Erasmus says
Hi, I cannot wait to make the sauce – sounds delicious. But I am stunned about interested buyers peeping into your fridge. Does the fridge come with the house? What people do that? 🙂
Sarah says
In the Netherlands it must be normal! Hahaha
Liane @ foodie digital says
The almond butter surprised me! A quick, easy and tasty sauce.
Sarah Bond says
Right?! The almond butter works miracles here!
Deepak says
Recipe looks so easy! But what is the alternative to almond butter?
Sarah Bond says
You could use another nut or seed butter (like sunflower seeds!)
Lisa says
Hello there, just wondering- roughly how king would you say this sauce will last in the fridge?
Sarah Bond says
About 5 to 7 days!