Romesco Sauce Recipe: 3 Ways to Use Romesco Sauce

Romesco is a thick, flavorful sauce made from roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers, garlic and chile powder, and toasted nuts or breadcrumbs, which give it body. (In Catalan recipes, the sauce is usually made with local bixto or nyora peppers). Like many cornerstone sauces, romesco recipes vary from kitchen to kitchen, and the Spanish sauce is most often made according to personal preference. You can make romesco with a mortar and pestle for a more rustic texture or purée it with a food processor or blender for efficiency and uniformity of texture.

The nutty complexity of romesco sauce pairs well with many savory dishes, from pasta to grilled meats. The sauce’s texture is as much of an asset as its flavors; blend it more for a velvety sauce, or leave it coarse and chunky for dips and spreads.

1. 1. As a condiment: Romesco is most often served alongside grilled fish and roasted vegetables, like roasted cauliflower. The sauce also adds jammy depth to scrambled eggs, omelets, or legumes, like roasted chickpeas.
2. 2. As a dip: Romesco sauce is hearty enough to serve as a dip—pair it with warm slices of flatbread or grilled crusty bread, like sourdough, or chilled vegetable crudités. In its native Spain, romesco is eaten with grilled calçot onions in the spring.
3. 3. As a spread: Romesco adds a bright, smoky lift to sandwiches—think cold cuts or grilled cheese—and open-faced tartines.