Grilled Asparagus with Romesco Sauce

The perfectly simple summer side dish, this spicy Grilled Asparagus with Romesco Sauce adds a new, spicy zing to one of our favorite veggies.

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds jumbo fresh California asparagus, trimmed
olive oil, as needed
salt, as needed
freshly ground pepper, as needed
3/4 cup drained, roughly chopped roasted red bell pepper (from a jar)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped sundried
tomato (packed in oil, drained)
2 1-inch slices baguette lightly toasted, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
tablespoons of cool water, as needed


Directions:
Brush asparagus with olive oil. On an outdoor or a stove-top grill over medium high heat, grill asparagus, turning frequently, until lightly browned and fork tender, about 5 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cool.

In a food processor, puree roasted red bell pepper and next 8 ingredients. With machine running, drizzle in 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil. If necessary, thin with 1 tablespoon water at a time until a thick, sauce-like consistency is achieved.

Arrange asparagus on a serving platter or individual plates; serve with Romesco sauce.

Makes 6 servings. Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
90 Calories, 50 Calories from Fat, 6g Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mgCholesterol, 210mg Sodium, 9g Carbohydrate, 2g Dietary Fiber, 3g Protein.