Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up virtually any meal.

Take me to the sauce!

I truly believe that there is nothing better or more versatile than a great sauce. You can put it on eggs, roasted veggies, any kind of protein, on toast (avocado or otherwise), use it as a dip, stir it into soup, or combine it with hot pasta and a little pasta water for an instant sauce.

I’m allergic to meal prepping, but sauce prepping is something I can get behind. It can uplift any boring chicken or pasta that you might whip up at the last minute. And truly, it takes minutes to prep this bad boy, so you’re not spending an entire Sunday filling the fridge.

This is basically Bon Appetit's recipe with a few small tweaks. I never have sherry vinegar, so I sub in red wine vinegar. I also left out the parsley because I don't like it.

Romesco

Yield: 1.5 cups
Time: about 8 minutes

1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
3/4 cup fire roasted red peppers
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp tomato paste
2-3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350. Spread the almonds out over a piece of parchment paper or tin foil. Toast until lightly golden brown.

Add the peppers, garlic, toasted almonds, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, paprika, and cayenne to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Add the oil in a stream (or dump it all in) and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.