Romesco sauce is vibrant red Spanish sauce made from the best of its ingredients – sweet red peppers, chilli, garlic and tomatoes, almonds and Spanish sherry vinegar. It’s appeal is the sweet, sour piquancy which is a perfect match for roasted vegetables chips, chicken and fish. There are many versions of this sauce but this is a simple one made mainly from store cupboard ingredients.
Romesco sauce with skinny roast parsnips
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 40 g ground almonds
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 small dried chilli
- half jar sun dried tomatoes, drained
- 2 Romano peppers or half jar of sweet red peppers from a jar, drained
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tbsp hot water
- 4 parsnips, scrubbed, peeled and chopped into finger thin wedges
- olive oil
- sea salt flakes and black pepper
Method
Before you start
If you are using Romano peppers in this recipe you will need to scorch them on a gas flame or under a grill until blackened. Allow them to cool and then rub of the charred skin and remove the seeds.
Place the almonds together with the remaining ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds or until the ingredients have been liquidised to a smooth paste. Add a little more water if you need to and adjust the seasoning to your palate.
Roasting parsnips
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
Place the parsnips in roasting tin and drizzle a little olive oil over them. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and then muddle the ingredients up with your hands to ensure the parsnips are coated with a thin film of oil and a little salt.
Roast the parsnips in the oven for about 20 minutes and check on them, turning them if needed. Replace them in the oven and continue to cook until they are golden brown and some are a little crispy.
To serve:
The parsnips can be served dipped in the Romesco sauce as a starter or as part of a tappas type meal.
The sauce is also delicious served with marinated chicken or lamb.
