ON THE SAUCE | Romesco gets smoky depth from charred red peppers. James Ransom for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Jamie Kimm, Prop Styling by Stephanie Hanes

"FOR ME, ROMESCO is one of the greatest sauces in the world," said chef José Andrés. Its base of charred red pepper, onion, tomato and garlic turns thick and rich once puréed with almonds and fried bread. Sherry vinegar and a sprinkle of Spanish pimentón provide sharpness and spice.

The Chef: José Andrés

José Andrés Jason Varney



In his final Slow Food Fast recipe, Mr. Andrés calls for topping a generous helping of the classic Spanish sauce with first-of-the-season asparagus spears, seared until tender. Curls of shaved raw asparagus and a scattering of chopped Marcona almonds top off the plate.

"We have to remember, romesco began as a dish made by fishermen," Mr. Andrés said. When keeping it simple, as Mr. Andrés does, without any lavish embellishments, it's extra important to ensure that each of the ingredients delivers all the flavor it can. That means roasting the vegetables until they are smoky and sweet, and toasting the almonds to deepen their nutty taste. When it comes to crisping the bread, "a low-temperature fry is always better," Mr. Andrés explained. You want the olive oil to seep all the way into the bread's center, so every crumb turns a deep golden brown, but no darker.

"I get very upset when people start adding weird things to romesco," Mr. Andrés said. "I think they need to know how to do the recipe right first." His blessedly uncomplicated version is a smart place to start. "Romesco with asparagus is simple and brilliant," the chef insisted. What more do you need?

—Kitty Greenwald

Romesco With Asparagus Two Ways

Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4


½ red bell pepper, cored

3 canned plum tomatoes, drained

½ head garlic, halved crosswise

½ large yellow onion, skin on

½ cup plus ½ tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing

2 ñora or other dried chilies

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons Marcona almonds, roughly chopped

1-inch-thick slice baguette

2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon pimentón

Salt, to taste

1½ pounds large asparagus spears, woody part of stalks removed

What To Do

1. Preheat oven to 550 degrees. Brush pepper, tomatoes, garlic and onion with oil. Roast, turning halfway through cooking, until soft and blistered, 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak 15 minutes. Strain, halve and carefully remove seeds and stems. Transfer chilies to a food processor.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small frying pan over low-medium heat. Add ¾ cup almonds and toast until browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to food processor.

4. Swirl additional 1½ tablespoons oil into frying pan. Once hot, add bread and slowly fry until browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Remove bread and let cool, then add to food processor.

5. Once roasted vegetables are cool enough to handle, remove skins from pepper, garlic and onions. Place all roasted vegetables in food processor and add 1½ tablespoons vinegar, pimentón and 4 tablespoons oil. Blend until a thick sauce forms. Season with salt to taste.

6. Toss three-fourths of asparagus with salt and 1 tablespoon oil. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté spears until tender and browned all over, about 2 minutes per side.

7. With a vegetable peeler, shave remaining asparagus into ribbons. In a small bowl, toss shaved asparagus with ½ tablespoon vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt to taste.

8. Spoon a generous amount of romesco sauce onto each plate. Top with asparagus spears, shaved asparagus and remaining almonds.