10-Minute Romesco Sauce For Fish (& More!)
This simple and speedy take on classic Spanish romesco sauce is packed with bold, punchy flavor. Roasted red peppers, almonds, smoked paprika, and a splash of lime juice come together to instantly elevate a plain fish dinner into something you'd happily order at a restaurant. It comes together in just 10 minutes—once you try it, you’ll want to spoon it over everything!
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted red peppers (chopped, from a jar, drained)
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes (or semi-dried tomatoes) drained if necessary
- ¼ cup almonds unsalted (raw or roasted)
- 1 slice bread (NOTE: this is very OPTIONAL) The bread should be either toasted or day-old. This adds texture, thickness and toasty flavor to the sauce and works especially well if you're serving the romesco as a dip.
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (make it a heaped one!)
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes (or a large pinch) or cayenne pepper, but just use a small pinch of this at first
- 1 lime (½ - 1, juice only) plus more for squeezing over the fish at the end, if you like
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar are the traditional choices, but any vinegar will work)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
To serve (optional)
- crispy potatoes (If you don't want to make potatoes, serve the dish with bread or toast instead.)
- green vegetables such as green beans or broccoli
- pan-fried white fish Pan-fry on high heat skin-side-down first, then flip. The fish is done when it's white all the way through (usually about 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness).
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor (a small one works well), except for the olive oil. Note: Start by adding the juice of just ½ of the lime, and only add the bread if you want a thicker sauce or plan to use it as a dip.1 cup roasted red peppers, ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes, ¼ cup almonds, 1 slice bread, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon chili flakes, 1 lime, 1 tablespoon vinegar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Pulse until you have a smooth paste. Then, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the sauce is thin enough to spread easily over a plate. If it's still too thick, you can also add a drizzle of water.¼ cup olive oil
- Taste and add more lime juice and/or seasoning to taste.
- To serve with fish, heat the sauce gently in a small saucepan. Add a little water to loosen it up if necessary.
- Spread around a quarter of the sauce over each dinner plate and top with crispy potatoes (if you like), green vegetables such as green beans or broccoli, and pan-fried white fish (on the top).crispy potatoes , green vegetables such as green beans or broccoli, pan-fried white fish
Notes
Nutrition: Note that the nutritional information is an estimate based on the sauce only.
Making the sauce nut-free: Either just skip the nuts altogether, or replace with pine nuts or sunflower seeds. The flavor will be slightly different, but the sauce will still be delicious.
Serving suggestions: My favorite way to serve romesco is with vegetables and fish on top. However, it also makes a great sauce for spooning over any meat or vegetables, or you can use it as a dip.
To store: Keep in a clean jar with a lid in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it in either a jar or an airtight container for 1 to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg
