Romesco Sauce

• FAST
• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 1 medium tomato, halved crosswise and seeded
2. 1 small red bell pepper
3. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4. 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
5. 1 garlic clove, minced
6. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
7. 3 tablespoons coarse dry bread crumbs
8. 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the broiler and broil the tomato and bell pepper until the skins are charred. Transfer the pepper to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 5 minutes. Peel the vegetables and discard the charred skins, seeds and stem. Coarsely chop the tomato and pepper and add them to a food processor along with any accumulated juices.
2. In a small skillet, heat the oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until slightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs and remove from the heat. Scrape the mixture into the food processor and puree until smooth. Blend in the vinegar. Scrape the sauce into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.