Romanesque Sauce

This is a cousin of the Catalan romesco sauce, the smoky red pepper-and-almond condiment that Spanish cooks spoon over grilled calcots and white fish. Here it gets spun slightly lighter for pasta duty, with lemon zest replacing the tomato that usually grounds classic romesco.

Three whole peppers get charred black on all sides under the broiler or over a gas burner, then sweated in a paper bag so the blistered skins slip off cleanly. The peeled flesh goes into a blender with slivered toasted almonds, raw garlic, and strips of lemon peel (yellow only, never the bitter white pith) for a quick coarse puree. Spoon over hot spaghetti or chilled pasta for a summer lunch.

Kitchen Tips

• Char the peppers truly black on all sides, not just golden. The deeper the char, the sweeter and more smoky the finished sauce. Thin-skinned bell peppers can take a surprising amount of heat.
• Sweat the peppers in the paper bag the full five minutes. This steams the skins loose from the flesh, and rushing this step means tedious picking later.
• Toast the almonds in a dry skillet just until fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Raw almonds taste flat in this sauce; toasted ones provide the nutty backbone.
• Avoid the white pith of the lemon. It is bitter, and even a small amount gives the finished sauce an off-putting edge. Use a vegetable peeler and a light hand.

Variations

• Add a splash of good sherry vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil for a more authentic Catalan romesco profile.
• Substitute toasted hazelnuts for half the almonds for a deeper, more complex nut flavor.
• Spoon over grilled fish or roasted vegetables for uses beyond pasta.