Chickpeas in Romesco Sauce

Chickpeas in Romesco Sauce
serves 4

Bright tomato-y Romesco sauce is a great accompaniment to chickpeas and zucchini, taking these pretty bland foods and holding them together in a richly textured sauce.  While you can definitely use canned chickpeas for this recipe, I actually prefer to cook them from scratch to get a softer, creamier texture that absorbs the flavor of the sauce better.  I soak 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas overnight and then cook covered in fresh water and nothing else for 2 hours or until soft.  This recipe freezes well too.  

1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 28-ounce can tomatoes
2 roasted red peppers
drizzle of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of red chile flake
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (sub red wine or white wine vinegar)
2 zucchini, chopped
4 cups of cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-ounce cans)
salt to taste
parsley or chives to garnish

1. Grind almonds in the food processor until you get a fine meal.  Remove to a bowl.  Next puree tomatoes and roasted red peppers in the food processor until smooth.  

2. In a large pot, saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and red chile flake and stir.  Add vinegar and stir.  Add zucchini and salt and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add chickpeas, tomato-pepper puree, ground almonds and let come up to a simmer.  Season with salt and garnish with chives or parsley,