Romesco is traditional Spanish pepper sauce used to top vegetables or fish. Its bright red color turns this cauliflower recipe into a bold-tasting and -looking dish, with walnuts adding nutty texture. Recipe is from the What to Eat When Cookbook publishing October 20, 2020. Copyright National Geographic 2020. All recipe images credited to Scott Suchman.
10 California walnuts (about ¼ cup), toasted
2 whole roasted red peppers from a jar, drained well
1 large garlic clove
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 head cauliflower (about 1¼ pounds), trimmed, cut into bite-size florets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
For the Romesco sauce: In a food processor or a high-speed blender, combine all the sauce ingredients. Blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Transfer to small bowl. (You can prepare the sauce a day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
For the cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil to coat. Spread the cauliflower florets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until tender and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
Spread the Romesco sauce on a platter and arrange the cauliflower on top. Sprinkle with the basil and serve. You can also toss the cauliflower in the sauce and garnish with basil before serving.
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