Quick and Spicy Basil Romesco Sauce: Easy, Fresh, and Flavorful

This Quick Basil Romesco Sauce blends fire-roasted red peppers, fresh basil, and Calabrian chilis for a zesty, spicy twist on a classic sauce that's perfect for pasta, dipping, or drizzling.

Table of Contents

Jump to:

• Twist on a Classic
• Calabrian vs Nyora Pepeprs
• Zesty + Fruity = Calabrian Peppers
• What's Sherry Vinegar?
• Let's Talk Emulsion!
• Ingredients with Steps
• Culinary Glossary 
• Instructions with Pictures
• Fire-Roast at Home
• What to Serve it With?
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage and Serving
• Cooking Tip
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sauce Recipes
• Pasta Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• Have a Question or Comment?

Twist on a Classic

Romesco sauce is a traditional condiment from the Catalonia region of Spain, known for its rich and complex flavors. Originally crafted by fishermen to accompany their daily catch, it is made with roasted tomatoes, red peppers, nuts, garlic, and olive oil.

My Quick and Spicy Basil Romesco Sauce: Easy, Fresh, and Flavorful is a modern twist on the classic recipe. It includes fire-roasted red peppers, crunchy almonds, sherry vinegar, fresh basil leaves, and a spicy kick from Calabrian chili peppers. The sauce achieves a creamy, tangy, and earthy flavor profile that is versatile and satisfying.

Although I do acknowledge that this isn't a traditional romesco sauce, I’ve called it that because it shares key ingredients like red peppers, nuts, and olive oil and has the same thick, paste-like consistency that gives romesco its characteristic look and texture.

You can toss it with pasta, use it as a vegetable dip, or pair it with grilled meats, fish, or tofu to create a wonderful dining experience.

Calabrian vs Nyora Pepeprs

When it comes to romesco sauce, the choice between Calabrian peppers and ñora peppers can significantly impact the flavor profile. Calabrian peppers bring a medium level of heat with a bright, fruity, and slightly tangy flavor, adding both spice and complexity to the sauce. Their boldness can elevate the sauce with a zesty kick, making it ideal for those who enjoy a touch of heat.

On the other hand, ñora peppers contribute a mild, earthy sweetness with subtle smokiness, providing a deeper, more traditional flavor that’s characteristic of Spanish romesco. While they don't add much heat, ñora peppers enrich the sauce with a rich, savory base.

In essence, Calabrian peppers create a spicier, more dynamic romesco, while ñora peppers produce a sweeter, more balanced version with smokier undertones.

Zesty + Fruity = Calabrian Peppers

Crushed Calabrian chili peppers originate from the Calabria region in southern Italy and are prized for their distinctive balance of heat and fruity flavor. These small, bright red peppers bring a zesty kick without overwhelming the dish, making them a popular ingredient in Italian cuisine.

In recent years, their bold, versatile flavor has gained popularity in American cuisine, often used in sauces, pizzas, and pastas. In this Quick Basil Romesco Sauce, the Calabrian chilis complement the fresh basil and other ingredients, creating a harmonious blend that enhances the sauce’s depth and complexity, adding a delicious twist to a classic recipe.

What's Sherry Vinegar?

Sherry vinegar is a staple in Spanish cuisine, made from the fermentation of sherry wine in the region of Jerez, Spain. Aged in wooden barrels, it develops a rich, complex flavor profile that combines sharp acidity with subtle notes of sweetness and nuttiness.

Its depth of flavor makes it an essential ingredient in Spanish dishes, particularly in gazpacho, salads, and sauces, where it adds brightness and complexity. In this Quick Basil Romesco Sauce, sherry vinegar provides a tangy balance to the richness of the roasted red peppers and almonds, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish with a nuanced touch that only a good vinegar can bring.

Let's Talk Emulsion!

I absolutely love the magic of emulsification! It’s like watching chemistry and cooking collide. When you slowly blend olive oil into the sauce, especially in something like romesco, the transformation is incredible.

The sauce goes from a deep, rich red to this vibrant, almost glowing orange. This is the process of allowing two liquids that don’t usually combine—like water-based ingredients and oil—to blend through rapid mixing, breaking them into tiny particles that can suspend within each other.

It’s a beautiful moment where the texture becomes smooth and creamy, and the color brightens. However, this emulsification is often temporary unless a stabilizer (like adding mustard to a vinaigrette) is used to keep the mixture from separating.

It’s also important to note that emulsified liquids don’t freeze well, and some may need a quick whisk or shake before each use to maintain that lovely consistency. It’s one of those small moments in the kitchen that always feels like a science lab!

More Delicious Pasta Recipes

• Plant-Based: Italian Sausage with Spicy Creamy Lentil Pasta
• Grilled Tofu with Vegetable Pearled Couscous Salad
• Homemade Easy Spicy Basil Pesto
• Loaded Cheesy Ground Turkey Red Lentil Pasta
• Jalapeño Pesto and Argentinian Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients with Steps

Simply make this Spicy Basil Romesco Sauce by bending fire-roasted red bell peppers, almonds, sherry vinegar, basil leaves, crushed Calabrian chili peppers, and olive oil until smooth. Then, adjust the consistency with reserved liquid or vegetable broth if needed and season with salt to taste.

Learn about prepping sweet peppers.

Culinary Glossary 

This section provides concise definitions of key ingredients and techniques to enhance understanding and improve cooking skills related to this recipe. Check out the live Culinary Glossary here.

• Romesco Sauce - A Spanish sauce made from roasted tomatoes, red peppers, nuts, garlic, and olive oil.
• Calabrian Chili Peppers - A type of chili pepper from the Calabria region in Italy known for its heat and fruity flavor.
• Sherry Vinegar - A type of vinegar made from sherry wine, known for its complex, nutty flavor.
• Emulsification - A culinary process in which two ingredients that usually don’t mix, like oil and water, are blended together to form a smooth, stable mixture. This technique is essential in sauces like mayonnaise or vinaigrettes, where ingredients are whisked or blended to create a cohesive, creamy texture.
• Fire-Roasted - A cooking technique where food, often vegetables or peppers, is exposed to an open flame or high heat, charring the outer layer to develop a smoky, caramelized flavor while enhancing the natural sweetness. Fire-roasting adds depth and complexity to ingredients commonly used for creating rich sauces or salsas.

See the quick romesco sauce recipe card for quantities below.

Instructions with Pictures

Follow the instructions and cooking tips below using the step-by-step picture guide.

Fire-Roast at Home

On the Grill

• Preheat the grill.
• Place rinsed and dried whole bell peppers on the heated grill.
• Char and blister (about 1 to 2 minutes) on each side of the bell pepper once 80% covered in char.
• Then, remove from the heat, immediately place in a glass or metal bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
• Allow steaming for 2 to 3 minutes in the bowl. Steaming will help release the charred skin from the pulp of the bell peppers.
• Next, remove the plastic wrap, peel the charred skin, and discard.
  • The peppers might still be hot, and you might want to use tongs or gloves.
• Cut the bell pepper in half and remove the seeds, stem, and white ribs.

Using the Oven Broiler

• Use the oven broiler setting.
• Then, place the bell peppers on a roasting rack and sheet pan, and place the pan on the middle rack of the oven.
• Rotate the bell peppers when charred on one side (about 2 to 3 minutes).
• Once 80% is covered in char, remove it from the oven, place it in a metal or glass bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap.
• Allow sitting for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the steam to separate from the skin.
• Then, remove the plastic wrap and peel the skin off.
• Finally, discard the charred skin.
• Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds, white ribs, and stem.

What to Serve it With?

This quick romesco sauce is a bold sauce and a great sauce to toss with pasta and serve as a dipping sauce for crusty bread or vegetables or on your favorite protein.

• Tofu and Couscous - Try it in my Grilled Tofu with Vegetable Pearled Couscous Salad recipe.
• Your Favoriate Pasta - Cook your favorite pasta al dente, then drain. Toss your pasta with steamed or sauteed vegetables and the romesco sauce. Stir in Parmesan and enjoy!
• Grilled Meat or Fresh Fish - Serve it with grilled fish, calamari or flank steak. Spoon a generous amount of romesco sauce onto a plate, place the grilled meat on top, and garnish with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, and a drizzle of basil or olive oil. Serve immediately, letting the rich, smoky sauce enhance the savory flavors of the dish.

Substitutions

Dairy-Free

• Yay! This recipe is already dairy-free.

Gluten-Free

• Bonus! This recipe is gluten-free.

Vegetarian

• Triple Threat! This recipe is also vegetarian.

Convenience

• Almonds - If you do not have almonds, you may substitute them with cashews, walnuts, or pine nuts to create the creamy texture needed for this sauce.  You can use toasted or raw almonds for this recipe using your pantry staples.
• ​Canned Fire-Roasted Red Bell Pepper - These provide a smoky flavor to the sauce. If you have fresh red bell peppers, click here to learn how to fire-roast them in the recipe.
• Crushed Calabrian Chili Peppers - Substitute with chopped red hot chilies.
• Sherry Vinegar - Use other subtle fruity vinegar like apple cider or red wine vinegar. The sauce needs some acid; if you have no vinegar, use lemon juice.

Change Heat Level - Modify the quick romesco sauce recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.

Variations

• Robust Sauce - Add any of the following or as a combination: garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and fire-roasted tomatoes on their own or in combination to change the taste profile.

Equipment

• Blender or Food Processor - Used to emulsify the ingredients in the Romesco pasta sauce to create a smooth and creamy sauce. To develop this recipe, I used the KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper, which is tough enough to do the job and small enough to avoid finding space for a new appliance.
  • Also, the best part is the drizzle basin that you can use to slowly add the oil for excellent emulsification. If you plan to use an immersion blender (hand blender), you might need to use a little bit more liquid to make the sauce slightly runny.

Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.

Storage and Serving

• Refrigerator - To store this quick romesco sauce in the fridge, store it in an airtight container. The meal will last up to one week.
• Freezer - Emulsified sauces may be hard to freeze, but freeze the sauce in ice cube trays for longer storage. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag and store them for up to three months. Thaw as needed.
• Serving - Quickly stir or whisk before serving, as it may separate slightly in the fridge.

Airtight Food Containers - I interchange glass food storage containers with plastic clipping lids or wooden push-ins. I always suggest glass storage containers because they can be microwaved, they hold food without staining, and the glass keeps the food at a more stable temperature, keeping it fresher and longer.  

Try the OXO Good Grips Smart Seal Glass Rectangle Food Storage Containers or the Pyrex Freshlock Glass Food Storage Containers.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Pasta Recipes

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