Romesco sauce has a long and storied history in Catalonia, Spain, where families have been enjoying this flavorful tomato and pepper gravy for centuries. The sauce is said to have been created by local fisherman to be eaten with fish, which traditionally has been a huge part of the diet of this coastal area. Our version pairs this complex and bright sauce with whole roasted cauliflower for a lively take roasted veggies as a side dish.

The name Romesco comes from the Mozarabic word “remescolar” which means “to mix”. These Arab-speaking Christians invented the sauce sometime in the 15th century, but following the import of tomatoes from the New World the recipe was transformed to what we know it as today.

The thick and peppery sauce is made from red bell peppers and tomatoes. Flavors of citrus liven it up and ground nuts thicken and add protein. Some recipes even call for stale bread to be used for thickening, however our version is gluten-free.

The fantastic thing about this dish is that no single recipe is correct. Most families in Catalonia have their own recipe, each with a unique flavor and ingredients. It’s not unusual for wine, sherry, dill, or tarragon to be used in this flavorful dish. The secret ingredient in our recipe is oven-roasted garlic. We’re baking ours in foil with some olive oil and the result is a sweet, soft, and utterly delicious garlic that mixes effortlessly into the sauce.

Don’t bother peeling the garlic cloves as the baking will ensure they they slide right out of their skins with very little elbow grease.

After roasting your veggies and then mixing them in the food processor, spread the sauce on a serving platter and place the whole, roasted cauliflower over the sauce. Or drizzle the sauce over the cauliflower.

The cauliflower is fall-apart tender when you take it out of the oven, perfect for slicing into. A sprinkle of sea salt on top and some lemon wedges on the side complete this intensely delicious Catalonian dish.