Recipe

Romesco sauce with eggplant and zucchini

Traditionally served with fish, this tomato and capsicum based sauce works wonderfully with chargrilled zucchini's and eggplant.

May 30, 2022 2:00pm
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 20 mins cooking
  • Serves 4
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Romesco is a tomato-based sauce that originated from Tarragona, Catalonia. The fishermen made the sauce to be eaten with fish. It is like a pesto - typically made from any mixture of roasted tomatoes and garlic, toasted almonds, pine nuts, and/or hazelnuts, olive or sunflower oil, and nyora peppers.

Ingredients

Romesco sauce
  • 2 medium red capsicum (400g)
  • 1 medium tomato (150g)
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 cup (80g) blanched almonds, roasted
  • 1/2 cup (70g) skinless roasted hazelnuts
  • 2 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
Eggplant and zucchini
  • olive oil spray
  • 2 medium eggplant (900g), sliced on the diagonal
  • 4 zucchini (480g), sliced thinly, lengthways
  • 1/3 cup (55g) blanched almonds, roasted,chopped coarsely
  • 1/3 cup (45g) skinless roasted hazelnuts, chopped coarsely
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn

Method

Romesco sauce with eggplant and zucchini
  • 1
    Make romesco sauce. Roast capsicums and tomato directly over a gas flame on stove-top, turning until charred (or roast in a hot heavy-based frying pan or grill pan, turning, until charred). Wrap individually in foil. Peel away skins. Chop capsicum and tomato; keep separated.
  • 2
    Heat half the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat; cook chopped capsicum and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until capsicum is soft.
  • 3
    Add chopped tomato and paprika; cook for 3 minutes or until tomato softens. Process nuts until finely chopped; add capsicum mixture, sherry and the water and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
  • 4
    Preheat a grill pan to high. Spray vegetables with olive oil; season with salt. Cook vegetables, in batches, for 4 minutes each side until tender and lightly charred.
  • 5
    Layer vegetables on a platter; top with nuts and parsley. Serve with romesco sauce.

Notes

Romesco is a traditional northern Spanish sauce, much like pesto in texture, made from a mixture of nuts and fire-roasted capsicum that often accompanies seafood or a local roasted Catalonian spring onion.

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