Spanish Romesco Sauce

Source: Simply Recipes

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • Smoked paprika (preferred) or sweet paprika: 1 Tablespoons
  • 8-ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers: 1 Each
  • 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, or canned whole tomatoes, including the juice, that have been de-s: 1 Each
  • Salt: 1 Teaspoons
  • Garlic cloves, chopped: 6 Each
  • Blanched almonds, chopped or slivered: 1/2 Cups
  • 1-inch thick slice of crusty bread, torn into pieces: 1 Each
  • Olive oil: 1/4 Cups
  • Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar: 3 Tablespoons
  • =Instructions=

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the bread and almonds, stirring often, until they just begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Place the contents of the sauté pan into a food processor with the remaining ingredients-salt, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, smoked paprika, vinegar. Purée until smooth. Spread the sauce out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to caramelize. Allow to cool and scrape into a container to store.
To use romesco sauce, mix with pasta, shrimp, chicken or vegetables either before or after they are cooked, much like you would a pesto. Kept in a sealed container, Romesco sauce will last for a week or more in the fridge. It freezes well, too.