In Catalonia, the birthplace of romesco, this sauce of roasted peppers and crushed almonds is known primarily as a dip for the grilled onions called calçots. But truth is, there are few foods that aren’t improved with a dollop of romesco. Try it with asparagus, roasted meat, grilled fish, hunks of bread—just about anything.
MAKES 2 CUPS
1 red bell pepper
6 ripe plum tomatoes
1 Spanish onion, unpeeled
1 head garlic, cut horizontally in half, papery outer skin removed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating the vegetables
3 ñora or any other dried sweet chiles
¼ cup blanched almonds
1 slice white bread, crust removed
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons sweet pimentón
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Brush the pepper, tomatoes, onion, and garlic lightly with oil. Put them in a medium roasting pan and roast until all the vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
While the vegetables are roasting, put the ñora chiles in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside to soak.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the almonds and sauté to brown them a little, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the almonds to a plate and set aside.
Raise the heat to medium and add the bread to the pan. Cook, turning once, until it is nicely browned, around 30 seconds on each side. Remove from the heat.
When the roasted vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel, core, and seed the bell pepper. Peel and core the tomatoes. Peel the onion and garlic. Drain the chiles and remove the seeds.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender or food processor and add the almonds, toasted bread, chiles, vinegar, pimentón, salt, and the remaining 7 tablespoons oil and blend until a thick sauce forms. Transfer the romesco sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.