Walnut Romesco Sauce
Walnut Romesco has a rich, nutty and smoky flavour profile, a velvety texture and vibrant colour. A versatile alternative to traditional tomato or pesto-based sauces, this recipe will make enough sauce for 2 lbs of pasta.
Ingredients
- 4 red bell peppers sliced in halves or quarters with stems and seeds removed
- 6 oz tomatoes, whole cherry or roughly chopped if larger
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 6 garlic cloves peel on
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and prepare parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Arrange peppers and tomatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes then turn the peppers with tongs and continue roasting for another 20 minutes. Add walnuts and garlic and continue to roast until the walnuts are toasted and fragrant and the peppers have softened, and their skins are wrinkled and charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Remove garlic peels and transfer peppers, tomatoes, garlic and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor. If you have a smaller food processor, proceed in batches until reduced. Add vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne and process on high until smooth. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and continue to blend until well combined.
- Transfer to a sealed container and store for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. If serving immediately, transfer to a sauce pan and reheat before serving.
Notes
Peppers: Substitute 1 drained 16-oz jar of roasted peppers.
Walnuts: I use walnuts in the recipe because that is what I always have on hand. All of walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts will work.
Cayenne: This sauce is relatively mild as written. To make it spicier, taste then adjust the heat level by adding a little more cayenne.
To make romesco pasta: Cook 1 lb (454 grams) pasta according to package instructions reserving 1/3 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and toss with 1½ cups romesco and ¼ cup reserved pasta water, thinning with more water if desired. Serve topped with grated Parmesan and more freshly ground black pepper.