Romesco

Romesco is a vivid Spanish (Catalan) sauce, originating from the city of Tarragona. It is a thick, rich sauce with an inimitable nutty-smoky taste, traditionally served with grilled vegetables, fish, seafood, and meat.

The base of romesco is roasted red peppers (often the special “ñora” variety) and ripe tomatoes, to which roasted nuts (almonds and hazelnuts), garlic, toasted bread, olive oil, and a little vinegar are added. All of this is ground into a uniform, slightly grainy paste. The most famous use of romesco is with calçots (a type of green onion, grilled over a fire) at the traditional Catalan calçotades, held from November to April. Rich, hearty, and balanced, with the pleasant sweetness of pepper and the heartiness of nuts, romesco is considered one of the finest sauces of Mediterranean cuisine.