It only took one bite and I was smitten. Simple as that.
I have no recollection of ever consuming romesco sauce before that evening but there it was, a base for a head of roasted cauliflower and its parmesan veil.
The cauliflower itself was stunning — tender, fragrant and just charred around the edges — and will inevitably make it here one day but the sauce… oh the sauce. We scraped every last drop from the plate even after the cauliflower was gone but still I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Needless to say, when I discovered stunningly well-priced multipacks of red capsicum at the local green grocer (must have the same season in Queensland as strawberries?), I knew what had to be done.
So what does one put romesco sauce (which I keep calling romanesco sauce) on? Well you could drizzle it over roasted veggies or spread it on a sandwich or use it as a dip for pretty much anything (including a spoon). You’re welcome.
Roasted Red Pepper & Nut Romesco Sauce
Smokey and earthy, this sauce goes with pretty much anything — really. Almonds are traditional but anything that happens to be in your cupboard or fridge will work just fine. So far I’ve used almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and pistachios. If you are allergic to nuts this would still work a treat with sunflower seeds or pepitas too.
Makes 1 ½ c sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large or 3 smaller red capsicum (bell peppers), roasted
- 4 cloves garlic, roasted
- ¼ c raw nuts or seeds
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
METHOD
Using an immersion blender or processor blitz capsicum and any pan juices from roasting, garlic and the nuts until smooth.
Add all remaining ingredients except salt and blend until smooth, stir through salt to taste. Store in a jar in the fridge.
How to roast capsicum without a gas stove:
Place capsicum and garlic on a foil lined baking tray. Roast under broiler (griller), turning every 5 mins or so until skin is just charred and blistered. Remove from oven, wrap the foil around the peppers and set aside for 10 mins for skin to steam away from the flesh.
When cool enough to handle, peel garlic and discard skins. Peel capsicum and discard skin, pull out seeds and discard. Reserve flesh and any juices to use in your recipe. Do not rinse the roasted peppers or you will wash away all the flavours.
vegan // vegetarian // dairy-free // soy-free // gluten-free // nut-free with seeds // probably paleo
Sounds delicious.
Ooh the perfect recipe for when my capsicums grow! You sell it well JJ.
Makes an awesome base for pizza too.