Hazelnut Romesco Sauce

• FAST
• HEALTHY
• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 1 small red bell pepper
2. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3. 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4. 1/2 cup cubed sourdough bread ( 1/2 inch)
5. 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
6. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
7. 1 large garlic clove, minced
8. 1/2 cup skinned roasted hazelnuts, chopped
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Roast the red bell pepper directly over a gas flame or under a preheated broiler, turning, until charred all over; let cool. Discard the charred skin, stem and seeds. Coarsely chop the bell pepper.
2. In a medium skillet, melt the butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the bread cubes and cook over moderate heat, tossing, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Let cool.
3. In a food processor, combine the roasted pepper, toasted bread cubes, sherry vinegar, tomato paste, garlic and hazelnuts and puree. With the machine on, slowly pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season the romesco sauce with salt and pepper.