Roasted Romesco Vegetables

Ready for a bold new side dish? These Roasted Romesco Vegetables are a flavor-packed powerhouse that’ll leave your mouth watering. Roasted broccoli and cauliflower sit atop a smoky romesco sauce, a Spanish sauce made from roasted red peppers, tomatoes, garlic and nuts, to bring depth and a little heat to every bite. Not only is it flavorful, but it’s also healthy—from vitamin K–rich broccoli to bell peppers that are rich in nutrients that reduce inflammation. While we love the combination of cruciferous vegetables, you can throw in whatever veggies your heart desires—carrots, potatoes or Brussels sprouts will be just as good. Read on for how to make this awesome dish the best that it can be!

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

• For a quick and easy prep, we recommend using bagged broccoli and cauliflower florets. If you’ve got a bit more time on your hands, feel free to buy heads of broccoli and cauliflower and cut your own florets for extra freshness.
• Smoked paprika lends that classic smoky depth of flavor to the sauce. If you don’t have smoked paprika, regular sweet paprika will work well too, but the flavor will be milder.
• The vegetables for the sauce will be hot when they go into the blender. When you blend hot foods, pressure from steam can build up inside, which can cause the lid to pop off unexpectedly. That’s why we recommend venting the blender by removing the center piece from the lid and covering the hole with a clean kitchen towel.

Nutrition Notes

• Broccoli and cauliflower are both cruciferous vegetables that contain isothiocyanates, which may protect against certain types of cancer. The two vegetables are low in carbohydrates, while broccoli provides a good amount of vitamin K to help support strong bones. 
• Nuts like walnuts and almonds provide protein, fiber and healthy fats, a trio that may help stabilize blood sugar levels. The combination of protein and fiber can also help you feel full for longer. 
• Bell peppers contain phytochemicals and nutrients that may reduce inflammation in the body. When your body has too much inflammation, you may have increased risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, so foods with anti-inflammatory properties, like bell peppers, can help. 
• The tomatoes in this dish provide a good source of carotenoids, including lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene, that may help reduce the risk of specific types of cancer. Cooked tomatoes have been shown to lower the risk of prostate cancer in men when eaten on a regular basis.