Spanish Romesco Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil1 1-inch thick slice of crusty bread, torn into pieces1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped or slivered (can substitute hazelnuts, peeled)5-6 garlic cloves, chopped1 teaspoon salt1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, or canned whole tomatoes (including the juice) that have been de-seeded, or 1 pound fresh tomatoes that have been par-boiled, skins removed, and de-seeded1 8-ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers1 Tbsp smoked paprika (preferred) or sweet paprika2-3 Tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 Preheat the oven to 350?F. Heat the olive oil in a medium saut? pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, saut? the bread and almonds, stirring often, until they just begin to brown. Add the garlic and saut? another 1-2 minutes, stirring once or twice.

2 Place the contents of the saut? pan into a food processor with the remaining ingredients?salt, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, smoked paprika, vinegar. Pur?e until smooth. Spread the sauce out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to caramelize. Allow to cool and scrape into a container to store.

To use romesco sauce, mix with pasta, shrimp, chicken or vegetables either before or after they are cooked, much like you would a pesto.

Kept in a sealed container, Romesco sauce will last for a week or more in the fridge. It freezes well, too.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

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