Annabel and Rose draw inspiration from Spain and its vibrant and fun cuisine.
As the temperature drops, we find ourselves reaching for richer foods with fuller flavours.
Spain is a source of constant culinary inspiration for us both and as Annabel now spends half of the year in France and Rose lives in Portugal, it is the meeting point between our two cooking landscapes.
Much like the culture, Spanish food is vibrant and fun. The ingredients are simple, but treated with gusto and deliciousness. It is such an inclusive cooking language that we love returning to whenever we want some bold, exciting flavours to wake up our palates.
Romesco is one of those fridge fixings that once you discover, you’ll never look back. This rich, nutty and piquant sauce from Catalonia is such a useful trick to have up your sleeve.
Made from roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic, smoked paprika and olive oil, this flavourful sauce has the magical ability to elevate everything it touches. Think of romesco like a red pepper pesto you can reach for whenever you want a burst of flavour.
Our version uses jarred roasted red peppers and is quickly blitzed in a food processor, making it so quick and easy to throw together.
We’re using romesco two ways: with roasted chicken and potatoes, and tossed through hot pasta for a quick midweek dinner. Any leftover romesco is fab with roasted vegetables (cabbage and cauliflower being top contenders), slathered into sandwiches, or alongside roasted or grilled meat.
Prepared romesco will keep in the fridge in a covered container for at least a week, and also freezes well.
The recipe scales up easily, so if you still have ripe peppers in the garden, this is a great recipe to make in bulk and freeze for use through the winter - you’ll just need to roast and peel the peppers first.
Let’s start with the Spanish baked chicken and potatoes with romesco.
A fabulous dish that we developed together in France last spring.
This easy traybake dinner ticks all the boxes - delicious, flavourful and incredibly satisfying. Here, a classic combination of chicken, potatoes, and onions is transformed into a tasty, generous dinner that is elevated enough for a special occasion, too, thanks to our lovely romesco sauce. We love to serve this with a bountiful green salad.
Next up, we have a speedy romesco rigatoni, which comes together in just 15 minutes and packs in so much flavour thanks to that winning sauce.
This is a great recipe to have as a starting point that you can dress up or down. It’s delicious as-is, or with pan-fried chorizo, torn fresh mozzarella and/or a handful of baby rocket.
As with all simple recipes, we recommend using the best-quality ingredients you can find - a high-quality bronze-extruded pasta from Italy makes a world of difference.
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Spanish baked chicken and potatoes
It’s hard to beat the combination of crispy-skinned chicken, potatoes and romesco. This easy traybake dinner ticks all the boxes.
Serves 4
Ready in 50min
DF GF RSF
Ingredients
4 chicken leg quarters (Marylands)
800g-1kg baby potatoes, halved lengthways
2 large onions, peeled, halved lengthways, and cut into wedges
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 sprig rosemary, leaves stripped from the stem, finely chopped (1 tsp dried) salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Romesco
½ cup almonds, toasted
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large roasted red peppers, skin and seeds removed
1 fat clove of garlic
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp salt
Method
Preheat your oven to 180ºC fanbake. In a large roasting dish, place chicken, potatoes, and onions.
Combine chicken stock, olive oil, smoked paprika, and rosemary in a jug. Pour over the chicken and vegetables, ensuring everything is evenly covered. Season generously with salt and pepper and transfer to the oven to bake until golden and tender (40-45 minutes).
Chicken is cooked when juices run clear when pierced at the deep part of the thigh joint.
While that is roasting, make the romesco. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz to combine. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.
To serve, spread a generous dollop of romesco on to each dinner plate and top with roasted potatoes, onions, and chicken.
Serve alongside a bountiful green salad.
Romesco rigatoni
Full of flavour thanks to that lovely romesco and with added crunch from toasted breadcrumbs, this tasty pasta ticks all the boxes.
Serves 4
Readyin 15min
DF GF RSF V VE
Ingredients
400g dried rigatoni or gluten-free equivalent
¼ cup finely chopped parsley, to serve
Romesco
½ cup almonds, toasted
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large roasted red peppers, skin and seeds removed
1 fat clove of garlic
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp salt
Toasted breadcrumbs
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup panko breadcrumbs or gluten-free equivalent
Method
Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil for your pasta.
To make the romesco, place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz to combine. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.
Cook pasta, following packet instructions, until al dente.
To toast the breadcrumbs, heat oil in a large heavy pan over a medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, stirring to coat the crumbs in the oil mixture, and toast, stirring often until deep golden brown (5 minutes). Remove from the heat and allow to cool before storing.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot you cooked it in. Stir through the romesco sauce and breadcrumbs. Divide into serving bowls and sprinkle with parsley to garnish.
