Pantry Pasta with Romesco Sauce

Romesco is a Spanish sauce made with bread (as a thickener) and roasted peppers and nuts. This version twists those components into a kind of pesto that is wonderfully smoky and tangy. We've made it with roasted almonds and smoked paprika, but you can also try it with smoked almonds and regular Spanish paprika.

Ingreadient:

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound linguine
• 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers (2 to 3 peppers)
• 1/2 cup roasted whole almonds, plus 2 tablespoons chopped, for garnish
• 1/3 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Direction

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, combine the red peppers, whole almonds, breadcrumbs, vinegar, granulated garlic and paprika in a food processor and process until the texture is coarse but uniform. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil and process until the sauce is thickened and emulsified. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl. Add the pasta and enough of the reserved pasta water so that the sauce is loose enough to pour but smooth enough to stick to the pasta. Divide the pasta among individual bowls, and sprinkle with the chopped almonds.