Romesco Sauce Recipe with Roasted Tomatoes and Nuts
Last updated on October 17th, 2026
Romesco is proof a sauce can be more than the sum of its ingredients. Roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic, toasted nuts and rehydrated dried chillies, blended with stale bread and a splash of vinegar, shouldn’t taste this complex, but roasting caramelises the vegetables, and the bread thickens the sauce without watering it down, so what comes out the other end is sweet, smoky, sour and salty all at once. Roasting vegetables until they char at the edges is the same approach I take in my roasted pepper and chilli pasta salad. This is the Catalan sauce I reach for with grilled fish, roasted vegetables, or just a hunk of bread. It’s also fantastic with beetroot baked en papillote.
What to Serve With Romesco Sauce
In Spain, romesco is a classic partner for grilled or roasted fish and seafood, such as salmon, cod and prawns, where its bold, smoky flavour cuts through the delicate taste of the fish rather than getting lost next to it. It’s also good with chicken, or simply on a slice of bread.
It does the same job with grilled vegetables like aubergine, courgette and peppers, and it’s just as at home as a dip for tapas (patatas bravas, fried croquettes, prawns cooked in garlic), where its tang and smokiness carry through everything it touches. It’s especially good with crunchy patatas bravas.
How to Make Romesco Sauce
The first time I tasted romesco I was completely blown away. Here’s how I make it. Start with the dried chillies: take the tops off, empty out the seeds, then cover them with boiling water and leave them for 30 minutes to rehydrate. I use dried ancho chillies, but ñora peppers are the traditional choice, and two teaspoons of sweet paprika works too.
While they soak, quarter a large onion, leaving the skin on if you can. Pierce the skin of two ripe tomatoes a few times so they don’t burst, then put them on a tray with four garlic cloves, still in their skins. Drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt, mix it all with your hands and bunch it together in the middle of the tray. Roast at 180°C for around 30 minutes, until everything has good roasted colour all round.
Roast the nuts (75g almonds, 50g hazelnuts and 50g walnuts) on a tray for five minutes, or until the hazelnut skins start to blister. Rub the hazelnuts in a clean cloth until most of the skin has come off.
Leave the vegetables to cool until you can handle them, then peel the tomatoes, the outside layer of the onion and the garlic. Into a blender go the rehydrated chilli, the nuts, two slices of bread torn up after drying out for an hour, the roasted vegetables, 20ml of sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt. Blend until reasonably smooth.
Add the olive oil last and pulse it in. Don’t blend it too much, because it goes bitter and there’s no saving that taste. Taste it, then adjust with salt and vinegar. You are looking for a perfect balance between sweet, sour and salty.
Tips for the Best Romesco Sauce
- Roast the nuts for maximum flavour.
- Rub the roasted hazelnuts in a clean cloth to remove the skins, as this reduces their bitterness.
- Use the ripest tomatoes you can get, as this gives the sauce real depth.
- Ñora dried peppers are the go-to ingredient. If you can’t get them, use dried ancho chillies or sweet paprika.
- If you’re using a blender or liquidiser, add the olive oil at the end and only blend it a little to avoid it going bitter.
What can I use instead of Ñora peppers in romesco?
Ñora peppers are traditional but can be hard to find outside Spain. Dried ancho chillies make a good substitute, or you can use around two teaspoons of sweet paprika if dried chillies aren’t available either.
Why roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic before blending?
Roasting caramelises the vegetables and deepens their natural sweetness, which gives romesco its characteristic rich, smoky flavour rather than tasting raw or sharp.
What is romesco traditionally served with?
In Spain, romesco is a classic pairing for grilled or roasted fish and seafood, grilled vegetables like aubergine and courgette, and as a dipping sauce for tapas such as patatas bravas or fried croquettes.
Why add the olive oil at the end and only pulse it briefly?
Blending olive oil for too long, especially at high speed, makes it taste bitter. Adding it last and pulsing gently keeps the sauce’s flavour balanced and smooth.
How do you make romesco sauce without a blender?
Romesco is traditionally made in a mortar and pestle, which is still a great option if you want more texture in the final sauce rather than a completely smooth blend.
What is romesco sauce made of?
Romesco is made from roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic, rehydrated dried chillies or peppers, toasted almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, dried bread, sherry vinegar and olive oil.
Romesco Sauce Recipe with Roasted Tomatoes and Nuts
Equipment
- Baking / Roasting tray
- Mortar & pestle / Molcajete
- Stick blender
- Colander
- Dish / Ramekin
- High-sided container
- Mixing bowl / Bowl
- Kettle
- Chef’s knife
- Chopping board
- Digital scales
- Measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Large pot / Stockpot
- Potato masher
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe tomatoes
- 2 x ñora dried peppers / 2 x ancho chillies / 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 large onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 75g peeled almonds
- 50g hazelnuts
- 50g walnuts
- 2 slices of bread left out to dry
- 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 20ml sherry vinegar
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Take the tops off the ñoras or ancho chillies (or other dried) and empty out the seeds. Place them in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for about 30 minutes, until fully rehydrated.
- Quarter the onion (leave the skin on if you can) and pierce the skin of the tomatoes a few times to prevent them from bursting. Place both on a tray or in an ovenproof dish with the garlic, still in its skin. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season lightly with salt and bunch everything together in the middle of the tray. Roast at 180°C for around 30 minutes, until everything has good roasted colour.
- Roast the hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts on a tray for about 5 minutes, or until the hazelnut skins start to blister. Rub the hazelnuts in a clean cloth until most of the skin has come off.
- Leave the roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic to cool until you can handle them, then remove the skins.
- Into a blender add the rehydrated chilli, the hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds, the bread ripped into smaller pieces, the tomatoes, onion and garlic, a pinch of salt and the sherry vinegar. Blend until reasonably smooth.
- Add the olive oil and pulse it in. Do not blend it too much, as it will go bitter. Taste and adjust with salt and sherry vinegar if needed.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
| Total Fat | 17.4g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.8g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 29.1mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 10.6g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.3g |
| Sugars | 2.6g |
| Protein | 4.5g |
| Potassium | 313.1mg |
