Crown Roast of Pork with Vegetable Paella and Romesco Sauce

To prepare the Romesco sauce, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook nuts and bread pieces in the hot oil until lightly toasted.

Transfer nuts and bread to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.

In the same saucepan set over medium heat, heat another teaspoon olive oil. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and cook until tomatoes start to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the tomato mixture to the food processor, along with roasted red peppers, vinegar, salt and chile flakes. Process until well combined.

With the motor running, slowly pour in the extra virgin olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth. Keep in the refrigerator if not using on the same day.

To prepare paella, place saffron threads in a medium-sized bowl. Add hot water. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Heat oil on medium high heat in a large saute pan. Add onion, garlic and tomatoes, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add wine and cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half.

Add broth, rice, carrots and red pepper. Mix well. Add paprika, salt and pepper.

Cook until the juice bubbles. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender but still slightly firm.

Stir in peas. Cover and cook for additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle parsley over the top and set aside.

To prepare pork crown roast, preheat oven to 450 F.

In a small bowl, stir together smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Pat the crown roast with a paper towel to dry. Place it in a lightly greased roasting pan. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork.

Spoon approximately 1 cup of the vegetable paella into the top cavity of the crown roast. Cover the paella with a piece of oiled foil. Wrap the tips of the crown roast bones in foil.

Roast the pork at 450 F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 F and roast the pork for approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 145F when inserted deeply into the roast (make sure you are not measuring the temperature of the rice).

Transfer the pork to a platter and let it rest for 20 minutes. While the pork is resting, reheat the remaining paella in the oven or microwave.

Present the crown roast of pork on a serving platter, surrounded by the vegetable paella. To serve, remove the string and cut between the ribs. Serve with paella and Romesco sauce.