Toast the almonds to deep gold and fry a slice of bread in olive oil before anything goes in the blender. The fried bread is the traditional thickener that gives romesco its body, and pale almonds leave the sauce flat, so take both to real color.
By Vince Gonzalez · Published July 2026 · Sourcing verified 5 Jul 2026
Prep20 min
Cook10 min
Makes2 cups
CuisineSpanish
Cost$$
Vegan
Contains gluten · tree nuts
Make it gluten-free: swap in gluten-free versions of the wheat items (check the other labels too).
The Ingredients — and where to get them
Cook for2cups
Our ratio, your call. The amounts below are a tested starting point — a version, not the one and only. Anything tagged to taste is the knob you turn: start there, then make it yours.
Dried peppers
Nora or ancho chiles, seeded and rehydrated for the base.
Toast the almondsToast the almonds in a dry pan until deep gold and fragrant. Pale almonds give a flat sauce, so take them to real color.
Fry the bread and garlicFry the bread slice and garlic in olive oil until crisp, then rehydrate the dried peppers in hot water and scrape out the flesh.
Blend to a pasteGrind the almonds first, then add pepper flesh, fried bread, garlic, roasted tomato, and vinegar and blend to a coarse paste.
Emulsify the oilWith the motor running, stream in the olive oil until the sauce is thick and slightly grainy. It should hold on a spoon, not pour.
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