Food Recipes Hazelnut Romesco Pasta Salad 4.5 (34) Add your rating & review A twist on traditional pasta sauce, enjoy this classic Spanish sauce with chicken, pasta, or on its own. By Jenna Helwig Jenna Helwig Instagram Jenna is the food director at Real Simple and the author of Bare Minimum Dinners, a cookbook featuring more than 100 low-lift, high-reward recipes. Previously, Jenna was the food director at Health and Parents. She is also the founder and operator of Rosaberry, a boutique personal chef services company, and the author of four other cookbooks, including the bestselling Baby-Led Feeding. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 2, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jennifer Causey Hands On Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Yield: 8 serves Romesco is the fresh take on marinara you didn’t know you needed. This classic Spanish sauce combines roasted red bell peppers with tart sherry vinegar, tomato paste, and hazelnuts (in place of the traditional almonds). Spirals of fusilli are perfect for snagging the bright orange sauce. Smoky bits of chorizo add savory depth, while sweet golden raisins balance the rich sauce. Serve as a main dish or plate with grilled chicken or classic meatballs. P.S. If you’re not a fan of mint, swap in parsley to draw out the earthy flavors in the sauce. Ingredients 1 pound uncooked fusilli pasta ¾ cup roasted, skinned hazelnuts* 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers ½ cup olive oil, plus more for serving 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1 clove garlic 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for water 4 ounces finely chopped dry-cured Spanish chorizo ½ cup golden raisins Torn fresh mint leaves, for serving Directions Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Measure 1 cup pasta cooking water into a small bowl, and set aside. Drain pasta; transfer to a large bowl. While pasta cooks, process hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add bell peppers, oil, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt; process until smooth. With the food processor running, gradually add reserved cooking water, processing until smooth. Stir three-fourths of hazelnut sauce into hot pasta in bowl. Let pasta mixture cool, stirring occasionally, until room temperature, about 30 minutes. Add remaining hazelnut sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pasta mixture. Stir in chorizo and raisins. Transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with oil and top with mint. Chef's Notes Chorizo, golden raisins, and mint leaves ensure this salad hits all the right spicy, sweet, and fresh notes. *Save time by buying roasted, skinned hazelnuts. Rate it Print