Table of Contents

• What is Romesco Sauce?
• Why You’ll Love It
• Ingredients
• How to Make Romesco Sauce
• More Recipe Tips
• Romesco Sauce Uses
• What Diets is Romesco Sauce Appropriate For?
• Try Romesco Sauce with …

What is Romesco Sauce?

Romesco Sauce reportedly originated in coastal Spain and was often served with local fresh-caught fish. Indeed, romesco is still often paired with white fish such as cod, but it has so, SO many more uses than that.

Why You’ll Love It

A bold red-orange, this romesco recipe packs wallop of flavor as vibrant as its color. No shrinking flower of a sauce here, this incredible sauce has a texture similar to pesto, and a taste just as bold. The garlic hits first – in the best possible garlicky way – then the roasted red pepper and the sun-dried tomato come through. A lingering smokiness and acidity from the lemon join in the symphony, and your mouth says “YES. MORE.”

Ingredients

In addition to sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and almonds, it’s is livened up by garlic, lemon, parsley, and – one of my favorite ingredients of all time – smoked paprika. It’s like someone took all of the most flavorful ingredients they could find and made a sauce – and it works. Big time.

• Roasted red bell peppers – One of the key ingredients in romesco is roasted red bell peppers. This ingredient should not be substituted. I used store-bought jarred roasted bell peppers in this recipe, but you could also use fresh roasted red bell peppers. If using fresh peppers, you will need about 8 ounces of peppers (after they are roasted), about 1 rounded cup, or about 2 medium-sized bell peppers. Here’s how to roast your own red bell peppers!

• Sundried tomatoes – When purchasing sundried tomatoes, be sure to select oil-packed sundried tomatoes because they are more tender and blend easily into the sauce. You can use roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted Roma tomatoes, or canned fire-roasted tomatoes when making romesco. If you are considering substituting the sundried tomatoes for one of these alternatives, keep in mind that they will be more watery, less sweet, and will not have as rich of a tomato flavor, so your finished texture and flavor will be different. 

• Raw almonds – Roasted almonds and roasted hazelnuts are common nuts used in romesco and can be swapped using a 1:1 ratio for the raw almonds. You could also try using some combination of walnuts, pine nuts, and/or cashews, as is used in pesto.

• Italian parsley – For an alternative to Italian parsley, try substituting fresh basil leaves!

• Smoked paprika – Paprika is made from dried and ground bell peppers and lends to the bold flavor of romesco. It is not spicy. I would not recommend omitting this ingredient; however, you could substitute regular paprika in place of smoked paprika if you do not have it on hand.

• Cayenne pepper – There is only enough cayenne pepper to give this recipe a slight kick, it is not too spicy. If you are super sensitive to spice this ingredient can be omitted.

• Extra virgin olive oil – A good EVOO with a fruity and peppery flavor works well in this recipe. If you do not love the taste of olive oil you can select a variety with a milder flavor. I don’t recommend substituting another type of oil in this recipe.

How to Make Romesco Sauce

This part is especially easy! Just throw the ingredients in the blender and blend! The almonds give the sauce an intriguing texture – it’s thick like hummus, but bits of almond lend heft and body.

More Recipe Tips

• Pat the bell peppers dry with a few paper towels after removing them from the jar and draining the liquid. This will help prevent your sauce from getting too watery.
  
• A high powdered blender or food processor is key to getting a smooth, creamy sauce. There will be some texture after fully blended from the almonds, however, there should be no chunks. A blender that is 1000 watts or greater will work best.
  
• When selecting sundried tomatoes, be sure to select a brand that packs the tomatoes in olive oil, not vegetable, canola, or soybean oil. Although we drain the oil, the tomatoes tend to absorb a lot during storage and you may be able to taste residuals of these poor-quality oils in the finished sauce.

Romesco Sauce Uses

If you’re not big on fish, which Romesco Sauce is traditionally paired with, try it with:

• Grilled bread or crackers
• Grilled vegetables
• Sandwiches (try it on this one in place of the pesto!), burgers, and wraps
• Orr even stirred into pasta! So, so good.

What Diets is Romesco Sauce Appropriate For?

It’s considered vegan, gluten-free, and even paleo friendly. It contains no added sugar, no animal products or dairy, and is free of grains and legumes. Romesco sauce is also low carb and can be included as part of a keto diet with just 3 grams of net carbs per serving.

It’s is a great low-carb, high-fiber sauce packed with vitamins and minerals. It is a great way to add some extra olive oil to your diet. High-quality olive oil contains high amounts of polyphenols (like oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol) which have beneficial anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic effects. Both the monounsaturated fat and the presence of polyphenols have been shown to be neuroprotective and improve cognitive function. Choose olive oil with a more peppery taste to reap the most benefits.

Try Romesco Sauce with …

• Grilled Summer Veggie Sandwiches – try it in place of the pesto, or in addition!
• As a dipper for zucchini fries
• It’s incredible on these grilled tofu tacos!
• I think these Halloumi Wraps with Romesco Sauce look amazing!

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Romesco Sauce

A rich and flavorful sauce that can make any ordinary meal over-the-top amazing.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 193kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• High-powered blender or food processor

Ingredients

• 12 ounces roasted red peppers drained and patted dry [about 8 ounces drained, 1 rounded cup or 2 whole bell peppers, roasted]*
• 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and patted dry; pack when measuring [55 g]
• 1/2 cup whole raw almonds [75 grams]
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley chopped [6 grams]
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 1/2 small lemon
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Optional toppings

• Chopped almonds
• Chopped parsley
• Olive oil

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

• Prepare the ingredients by draining the roasted bell peppers and sundried tomatoes and patting them dry, chopping the parsley (just needs to be chopped well enough to measure), and peeling the garlic cloves.

Blend & serve

• Add all ingredients to the blender or food processor and puree for about 1 minute or until there are no large chunks and everything is an even color. Because of the almonds, there will be some texture even when fully pureed but no large chunks should remain.
• Serve immediately on top of an entree or transfer to a bowl, swirl with a spoon creating grooves to hold a drizzle of olive oil, top with chopped parsley and crushed almonds, and serve as a dip for bread or veggies.

Notes

Storage tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give it a quick stir before serving because some separation might occur.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 742mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 587IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Romesco Sauce appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

If you follow anyone from Seattle on social media, I’m sure you’ve heard all about the crazy amount of snow we’ve been getting. At our house, we’ve been snowed in for the majority of the past eleven days, and over the last day and a half it dumped probably another foot (!!!) of snow. This amount of snow is almost unheard of around here, and I’d go so far as to say that most of us were wildly unprepared for it.

We’ve been using garden shovels to scoop snow (why have a snow shovel when we only need it once every 10 years?! Oh right, because it would have been really nice to have one for #snowmageddon!) And only yesterday did it finally occur to us that we should knock snow off of flat roofs and other surfaces, drooping tree branches, and our (previously thriving) garden vines.

Meanwhile, our grocery stash is growing a bit slim. I really wanted to come up with a marvelous Valentine’s Day recipe for y’all, and I’ve been working on an amazing, almost-there raspberry sweet roll recipe. But I don’t have it quite right yet and I ran out of the ingredients to continue testing it.

Luckily, I had just enough groceries in the pantry to make and photograph this Creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, a favorite dinner of late. It used up my last 1/2 of an onion and the basil in the fridge was definitely a little worse for the wear, but I managed to pull it off.

I really didn’t consider this one a Valentine’s Day recipe because instead of being red or pink it’s kind of more of an orange. But if you eat by candlelight and serve it up with some heart-shaped bread or something (is there such a thing? There should be), I think it’ll totally work.

So what do we have here? Pasta of course. I like rotini for this one. One with some nooks and crannies is desirable here because it’ll grab and cradle all of that delicious sauce.

And that sauce, my friends. It’s so deceptively simple. Sauteed onion, oregano, and garlic. A bit of tomato paste. A jar of roasted red peppers. Some cashews for their signature glorious creaminess. Puree until smooth and luscious, aaaand done.

This recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, which in my book makes it a contender for many a future weeknight dinner – not just V-Day.

Even if it’s more orange than red or pink, I love this recipe. And Valentine’s Day is all about love, right? I know, I know … it’s a stretch. Either way, Happy Valentine’s Day, and stay warm out there!

More super-fast pasta recipes

• Ridiculously Creamy Vegan Shells & Cheese totally scratches that comfort-food itch.
• This Creamy Avocado Kale Pesto Pasta is so super fast and tasty!
• Not a dish but rather a sauce, this 5-Minute Garlicky Vegan Alfredo makes a quick and easy sauce for pasta or gnocchi. A fave!

If you try this recipe, please leave a rating! And, if you find it share-worthy – which I hope you do – please share. Tag #kitchentreaty on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, and don’t forget to check out my other recipes!

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Creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Got 20 minutes? Then you’ve got dinner! An impossibly creamy, full-of-flavor sauce coats curly pasta for this awesomely easy pasta dish that’ll please vegans and carnivores alike.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 317kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• High speed blender (like Blendtec or Vitamix)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rotini pasta or pasta of your choice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced about 1 cup diced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 medium cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (15-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
• 1/3 cup raw whole cashews*
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
• 4-5 fresh basil leaves chiffonaded

Instructions

• Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once boiling, add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions (usually about 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
• While the pasta boils, set a medium saucepan over low heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to get translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute. Add the tomato paste and cook until warmed through. Pour in 1/2 cup water and stir to bring up all of the bits of everything.
• Pour the sautéed onion mixture into the blender. Add drained roasted red peppers, cashews, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Puree until silky smooth, 2-3 minutes. If the sauce is too thick to puree, add a bit more water, a tablespoon at a time.
• Return the pasta to the pot you cooked it in or to the saute pan – whichever is biggest! Place over low heat. Add sauce. Stir gently and cook just until warmed through, 1-2 minutes.
• Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Sprinkle basil over the top and serve!

Notes

* I find that with my Vitamix, I don’t need to soak my cashews first – they puree completely! If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you may want to soak your cashews in very hot water for 20 minutes before pureeing.

Gluten-Free Option

Use gluten-free pasta. My favorite is brown rice pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

So BLTs aren’t really something we do around here. For one, I don’t eat the bacon, so mine is just an LT – lettuce and tomato. And his wouldn’t have tomato, so his is just a BL. So if I didn’t break out a tomato for just my sandwich, we’re looking at a … lettuce sandwich? An L? Yeah, probably not … unless that’s some fabulous thing I’m totally missing out on, and if so, please share now!

Lately, though, I’ve been thinking about BLTs. Maybe throw some fake bacon on mine? It’s not so bad, some of it. Or, scratch that. Just load up the veggies for mine. Maybe swap the tomato for olive-oil-soaked roasted red pepper. Maybe add a little goat cheese to the mix. Maybe swap the lettuce for baby arugula. And add bacon to his (and the bacon-obsessed toddler’s). And hey! Now it’s nothing like a BLT. Now we’ve got an RRPBAGCB.

Hmm. Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

Oh well. It’s still terrific, even if it lacks the cutesy name.

You start with rustic, chewy ciabatta bread – preferably warm, straight out of the oven. Add roasted red peppers – homemade is best – doused in olive oil and sprinkled with a little coarse salt. These are really the star of the show. (And, actually, if you consider stopping there, I’ll understand – in fact, just-plain-old roasted red pepper sandwiches are pretty great.)

Then a couple of layers of crunchy, peppery baby arugula and a crumble of soft, tangy goat cheese. Bacon if your tomato-hating carnivore would like, and then just a little extra drizzle of olive oil to make the whole dang RRPBAGCB sing.

The more initials the better, that’s what I say.

More Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes

• Ultimate Veggie BLT
• Vegetarian Club Sandwich
• Bahn-Mi Inspired Egg Salad
• Grilled Veggie Sandwich
• Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• Cauliflower Steak Sandwich
• The Perfect Grilled Cheese

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Roasted Red Pepper, Baby Arugula, & Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Optional Bacon

Inspired by a BLT, but not really a BLT at all. Chewy ciabatta bread is loaded with gorgeous roasted red peppers, zippy arugula, creamy goat cheese, a little olive oil and black pepper, and bacon – if you choose.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 sandwiches

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread I like the half-loaf size from Trader Joe’s – it’s perfect for these sandwiches
• 8 ounces roasted red peppers preferably in olive oil
• 1/2 cup baby arugula rinsed and dried
• 2 ounces goat cheese chevre
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

If adding bacon, per sandwich add:

• 2 slices bacon cooked, drained, and cooled

Instructions

• Slice the ciabatta bread in half lengthwise and then cut about a five-inch hunk of bread for each sandwich. Lay sandwich inside-up and begin layering.
• First, add a couple of layers of the roasted red peppers. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. I add a little more salt for the veggie sandwich, and just a tad for the carnivore’s sandwich because it will have the natural saltiness of bacon, too. Pile a handful of arugula onto each sandwich, then crumble the goat cheese onto the arugula, dividing evenly between the two sandwiches. Lay the bacon on top, if using. Drizzle a teaspoon or so of the olive oil from the roasted red peppers onto the top of the whole thing and lightly dust with black pepper.
• Close up those sandwiches, slice in half, and serve!

The post Roasted Red Pepper, Baby Arugula, & Goat Cheese Sandwiches (Bacon Option) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

This simple, easy sandwich is made up of two thick slices of artisan bread stuffed with a layer or two of olive-oil soaked, smoky-sweet roasted red peppers, sprinkled with a little kosher salt or sea salt.

I know, I know, it sounds a little boring, but trust me. These simple ingredients together make magic. The olive oil soaks just a little into the bread, and the flecks of coarse salt make the flavors burst.

Wrap a couple in waxed paper and head off for a perfectly simple – and just plain perfect – summer picnic.

Entertaining idea

Make mini versions of this simple sandwich with little freshly-baked baguette slices, and pile them high on a tall cake stand.

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Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches

This simple, easy sandwich is made up of two thick slices of artisan bread stuffed with a layer or two of olive-oil soaked, smoky-sweet roasted red peppers, sprinkled with a little kosher salt or sea salt.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Kare

Ingredients

• Roasted red peppers
• Rustic artisan bread of your choice sliced about 1/2-inch thick
• Your favorite good-quality olive oil
• Coarse salt like kosher or sea salt

Instructions

• Roast the red peppers and place them in a jar of olive oil (instructions here).
• Layer a few roasted red pepper slices on a slice of bread and sprinkle with coarse salt to taste.
• Top with second slice of bread and slice sandwich in half. Serve.

The post Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.