Romesco Sauce Pasta
Romesco sauce is a classic Spanish sauce traditionally made from roasted red bell peppers, tomatoes, almonds, bread, garlic, olive oil, and smoked paprika. Known in Spain as salsa romesco, it's packed with rich, smoky flavour and is incredibly versatile.
A traditional romesco recipe is often served alongside roasted vegetables, grilled meats, seafood, or simply as a dip for crusty bread. But one of my favourite ways to enjoy it is by turning it into a delicious pasta sauce.
For this romesco pasta, I blend the roasted vegetables, toasted almonds, and seasonings until smooth, then loosen the sauce with a little starchy pasta water. This transforms the romesco into a silky sauce that clings perfectly to the pasta.
I love this recipe because it's an easy pasta dish that tastes like you've spent hours in the kitchen, when in reality it's surprisingly easy to make. It's the perfect weeknight meal idea when you want something comforting, flavour-packed, and a little different from your usual tomato or cream-based pasta sauces.
If you’re in a hurry you could also make this recipe even faster by using jarred roasted red peppers and swapping fresh tomatoes for tomato paste. With a few clever shortcuts, you'll have this flavourful romesco pasta on the table in around 15 minutes, making it an ideal option for busy weeknights.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Pasta- Any pasta can be used here. I used ditalini- a small spoonable pasta which you can scoop up with plenty of sauce.
- Red bell pepper- I roasted fresh bell pepper but you can use pre roasted jarred pepper for an even quicker option.
- Tomato- I used fresh tomato which gives the best flavor but for a speedier option use a tablespoon of tomato paste.
- Bread- Bread is used to thicken the sauce- any bread will do.
- Almonds- Skinless almonds are best here but you can use any almonds or even another nut if you wish.
- Garlic- Fresh or granules.
- Paprika- Smoked paprika is best but any paprika will work. If you like spicy food feel free to try hot paprika.
- Red wine vinegar- Red wine vinegar has a more mild taste than other vinegars. You can substitute this with lemon juice or omit
- Olive oil- Oil is the fat that makes the sauce rich. Any neutral flavour can be used in place of this or omit if you like.
What is romesco sauce?
Romesco sauce or 'Romesco salsa' is a sauce from Spain made from red bell peppers, tomatoes, nuts, stale bread to thicken and some seasonings. It is much like pesto in the way of being able to use whatever you have on hand for it- any bread, any nuts or even sunflower seeds if you'd like a nut free version. The result is a smokey, sweet sauce that goes on just about anything you like. Use it as a dipping sauce, dressing for vegetables or cook with it like have done in this pasta sauce.
Popular recipes from the blog
Step-by-Step Guide in Pictures
- Add the peppers and tomatoes to a baking dish
- Roast until soft and charred
- Toast almonds and bread
- Add all of the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend
- Cook pasta
- Mix pasta and sauce and you're done!
Romesco pasta
Ingredients
- 400 g Pasta
- 2 Red bell peppers
- 2 Large Tomatos
- 1 Slice Bread
- 100 g Blanched Almonds
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1.5 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250C/480F.
- Remove the seed from the bell peppers and cut them in half. Also cut the tomatoes in half.
- Add the peppers and tomatoes to a baking dish and drizzle with oil.
- Bake these in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile rip the bread up and add to a dry frying pan with the almonds, toast until the almonds get some colour.
- Once the peppers and tomatoes are cooked add everything into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Cook pasta to packet instructions and reserve the pasta water.
- To a large pan add the sauce and pasta and stir well.
- Lastly add pasta water little by little consistently stirring until your desired pasta sauce consistency is reached.
More easy pasta recipes
Leave a Reply