Romesco

Ingredients

• 2¾ ozAlmondstoasted, binds and flavours the sauce
• 3 clovesgarlicgently fried in oil until golden
• 8¾ ozRed bell pepperroasted or from the jar, seeds removed
• 5¼ oztomatoesfresh, roughly cut
• 3½ ozOil-packed sun-dried tomatoesdrained, for concentrated sweetness
• ½ cupolive oilfor frying the aromatics and for blending
• 2 tbspvinegarwhite wine or balsamic vinegar, to balance
• 1 tspSmoked paprika
• 2⅛ ozwhite breadday-old, cubed – thickens the sauce or is fried as crumbs on top (optional)
• 1 bunchparsleyblended in and sprinkled over
• 3 tbspLemon juiceas the acid instead of vinegar (optional)
• 1⅔ ozPine nutsinstead of almonds (optional)
• 1 tbspCapersdrained, fried with the garlic (optional)
• saltto taste
• pepperto taste

Method

1. Toast the almonds and the peeled garlic cloves in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring, until golden. If you like, add drained capers to the pan and let them fry along. Pull the pan off the heat. Set a small handful of the toasted almonds aside for garnish. Let the rest cool for a few minutes.
2. Seed the red peppers — fresh and raw or pre-roasted from the jar, both work. Roughly cut the fresh tomatoes and drain the sun-dried tomatoes well.
3. If you're using white bread, blitz the day-old cubes to fine breadcrumbs in the blender. Fry the breadcrumbs you want for the topping in a little olive oil until golden, and set the rest aside for now.
4. Tip the toasted almonds and garlic with all their oil into the blender, then add the peppers, the fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, most of the parsley (keep a little back for garnish), the vinegar or lemon juice and the smoked paprika.
5. Blend to a thick paste that keeps a little grain to it — don't take it all the way to smooth. For a firmer sauce, blend in some of the untoasted breadcrumbs.
6. Season with salt and black pepper, and adjust with a little more vinegar or lemon juice if it needs lifting.
7. Serve with roasted vegetables, potatoes or pasta, scattered with the reserved toasted almonds, the toasted breadcrumbs, if using, and the parsley you kept back, chopped.

Tips and variations

Pine nuts stand in nicely for almonds; for a quick pasta sauce, make it from sun-dried tomatoes alone with pine nuts and capers, loosen it with pasta water and scatter toasted breadcrumbs over the top. Made with young garlic — or garlic plus spring onions — coriander and lemon juice, the romesco turns fresher and works well as a bed under smashed, crisply roasted potatoes. As a main course, serve it with cauliflower cut into slabs, pan-fried and roasted, alongside a rough potato and cauliflower mash with almond butter. The sauce keeps for up to three days in the fridge and is good cold.