serves 16

Ingredients

• 2 cups blanched Marcona almonds (or other blanched almond)

• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• a pinch of smokey Spanish pimentón (optional)

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 50/50 rosemary and fresh thyme)

• sea salt

Considered the “Queen of Almonds” and ubiquitous to tapas bars in Spain, Spanish Marcona almonds are shorter, rounder and sweeter than common almonds sold in the United States. They are also pricey, but a treat for a special occasion. Before you commit to the cost of using Marconas, you might want to try this recipe with regular unsalted, skinless, blanched almonds. If you’re in a rush and only have access to roasted, salted almonds, omit the salt in the recipe and reduce the roasting time to 5-10 minutes in a 300-degree oven. If you want to “kick it up a notch”, add a couple of pinches of cayenne or chili pepper. Store leftover roasted almonds in an airtight container in the fridge; reheat in a 300-degree oven for 5 minutes before re-serving.
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Mince the herb(s) and mix with the spices and grated lemon zest

2. In a large bowl, drizzle the almonds with the olive oil and mix to coat the almonds; add the spices, lemon zest, and rosemary mixture and toss to coat evenly

3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spread out a single layer of Marcona almonds.

4. Roast almonds 10-15 minutes stirring every 5 minutes until they start to turn a slightly darker brown color. Be careful not to burn during the last 5 minutes, the almonds should be light brown not scorched.

5. Remove from the oven and toss generously with coarsely ground or flaky sea salt. Serve warm.

   Adapted from: https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/toasted-rosemary-marcona-almonds