Ultimate Romesco Sauce Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan)

It’s a sauce; it’s a spread; it’s a dip!! This romesco sauce recipe is the superhero of condiments. It’s a creamy (but dairy free) sauce that’s slightly smoky and sweet. It will instantly transform your meals - from fish, to meat, vegetables, pasta and more. I’ll show you how easily it comes together (spoiler alert: you don’t even need to turn on your stove), as well as share my favorite ways to serve it. Don’t miss the VIDEO below!

Thank you to Spark Grills for partnering with me on this post! While I was compensated for this post, all opinions and recipes are mine alone. 

What is romesco sauce?

Romesco sauce is a Spanish sauce made with charred tomatoes and peppers. There are a million different variations, but it often contains garlic, almonds and/or pine nuts, and sometimes bread. This romesco sauce is made with roasted red bell peppers and plum tomatoes, and it’s thickened with just nuts, making it gluten free.

Grilled romesco sauce

Instead of charring the tomatoes and peppers in the oven, you can grill them instead! (However, if you don't have a grill I include instructions for how to roast the vegetables in the oven.) As you may know, I LOVE grilling and my Spark grill is my weeknight go-to. Instead of fussing with briquettes, the grill uses charcoal Briqs, which heat up quickly with the turn of a knob. You get all that delicious smokiness from charcoal that you lack on a gas grill. It's a game changer.

Ingredients

Be sure to use plum tomatoes in this easy romesco sauce recipe, as they’re meatier than other varieties and won’t water down the sauce. I love using a mix of blanched almonds - which give the sauce a creamy texture - and toasted pine nuts - which impart a buttery toasted flavor. Smoked paprika lends more smokiness to the sauce, while sherry vinegar brightens everything up (you can use red wine vinegar instead).

How to make romesco sauce

• Coat red bell peppers and plum tomatoes lightly in oil, then grill them until they’re charred all over and tender (alternatively, you can broil them in the oven).

• Let the peppers and tomatoes cool, then remove and discard the skins and seeds.

• Transfer the roasted peppers and tomatoes to a blender and add garlic cloves, blanched almonds, toasted pine nuts, smoked paprika, sugar, Sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar), extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

• Blend the sauce until it's smooth and creamy.

Romesco sauce uses

There are so many ways to serve this romesco sauce (it will last for a week or longer in the fridge)! Below are some of my favorites:

• Use is on grilled or roasted Romesco Chicken
• Toss it with pasta or gnocchi
• Spoon it over fish, steak or vegetables
• Drizzle it on tacos
• Slather it on burgers and sandwiches
• As a dip for Grilled Potatoes and potato chips

Romesco crostini

For an easy appetizer, spoon the romesco sauce over grilled or toasted crostini, and top them with arugula (or basil) and shaved Manchego cheese. They're SO GOOD, and you can watch me make them in the video below.

Romesco dip

You can also serve this romesco sauce as a dip! It pairs wonderfully with raw and blanched veggies (think carrots, snap peas, fennel, cucumber, asparagus, cauliflower…) as well as potato chips (swoon).

FAQs

Tips for making this recipe:

• I’m obsessed with my Spark Grill, which imparts an incredible smoky flavor to this romesco sauce recipe. The Spark grill uses charcoal Briqs instead of briquettes and preheats with the turn of a knob, meaning you get all the delicious smokiness of a charcoal grill without the hassle. 
• To grill crostini: Brush baguette slices with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Arrange the bread in a single layer on 500-600˚F degree grill and cook until golden and lightly toasted on the bottom, about 1-3 minutes. Flip the slices over and rearrange them on the grill. Cook until lightly toasted on the other side, 1-3 minutes longer. 
• To cook the peppers and tomatoes in the oven: Preheat the broiler with a rack 4-5 inches from the heating element. Line a small sheet pan with foil and drizzle it with oil. Cut the peppers in half through the stem ends. Place the pepper halves, cut sides down, on the pan, along with the whole tomatoes. Broil the vegetables until they're blackened all over, flipping the tomatoes once, about 7-9 minutes total. Transfer the charred vegetables to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove and discard the skins and seeds as directed, as proceed with the recipe.

*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!

Other grilled recipes you might like:

• Life-Changing Grilled Potatoes
• Grilled Peaches with Cardamom Whipped Cream
• Grilled Panzanella Salad
• Grilled Chicken Paillard
• Grilled Eggplant & Fennel Salad with Feta & Mint

Watch the video!

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I'd love to answer any of your questions and see what you're cooking!! Don't forget to give this recipe a star rating and leave a comment below. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & Pinterest, and be sure to tag @nickisizemore so that I can share your creations!

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Ultimate Romesco Sauce Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan)

It’s a sauce; it’s a spread; it’s a dip!! This sweet and smoky romesco sauce recipe is the superhero of condiments. Grilling the peppers and tomatoes imparts a delicious smoky flavor (I LOVE my Spark Grill), but you can cook them under the broiler instead (see the Tips below). This version is thickened with just almonds and pine nuts, making it naturally gluten free. Serve the sauce with this incredible Romesco Chicken, or on steak, fish or veggies. You can also toss it with pasta and gnocchi; slather it on sandwiches and burgers; or serve it as a dip with potato chips and Grilled Potatoes. For a gorgeous appetizer, spoon the sauce over grilled crostini (see the Tips below) with baby arugula and/or sliced basil and shaved Manchego cheese.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy romesco sauce, gluten free romesco sauce, romesco sauce recipe

Servings: 2 cups

Author: Nicki Sizemore

Equipment

• Grill (or broiler)

Ingredients

• Neutral vegetable oil, for veggies
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• ¼ cup whole blanched almonds, unsalted
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat your Spark Grill to 600˚F, or preheat a regular grill to high heat.
• Rub a thin layer of oil over the tomatoes and peppers. Place the peppers and tomatoes directly on the grill grates. Cover and cook, turning the vegetables occasionally, until they’re blistered and blackened (the tomato skin will start to slip off), about 6-8 minutes for the tomatoes and 15-20 minutes for the peppers.
• Let the vegetables cool, then peel off and discard the skins (don’t go crazy with the peppers—if some skin doesn’t come off it’s totally fine). Cut out the pepper cores and discard the seeds. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and slip out the seeds.
• Transfer the tomatoes and peppers to a high speed blender or food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Process on high until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally (or stirring with the tamper if using a high speed blender). Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. The sauce will be quite pourable at this point, but it will thicken up as it rests!

Notes

Do Ahead: The romesco sauce can be refrigerated for 1 week (it will thicken as it chills), or it can be frozen for up to 2 months. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Tips:

• To grill crostini: Brush baguette slices with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Arrange the bread in a single layer on 500-600˚F degree grill and cook until golden and lightly toasted on the bottom, about 1-3 minutes. Flip the slices over and rearrange them on the grill. Cook until lightly toasted on the other side, 1-3 minutes longer. 
• To cook the peppers and tomatoes in the oven: Preheat the broiler with a rack 4-5 inches from the heating element. Line a small sheet pan with foil and drizzle it with oil. Cut the peppers in half through the stem ends. Place the pepper halves, cut sides down, on the pan, along with the whole tomatoes. Broil the vegetables until they're blackened all over, flipping the tomatoes once, about 7-9 minutes total. Transfer the charred vegetables to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove and discard the skins and seeds as directed, as proceed with the recipe.