I'll plug one of my favorite cookbooks "Get Saucy" by Grace Parisi. It has 40 different recipes for pesto type sauces along with hundreds of other types of sauce, gravy, marinades and so on.
There's a great Spanish pesto called Romesco. There are many variations but this recipe is pretty authentic.
It's really good with fish/shrimp but frankly you could put it on almost anything
3 large plum tomatoes
2 large red bell peppers
1 medium onion (unpeeled)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 dried ancho chile
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 slice wheat bread, toasted, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon pimentón or other imported smoked sweet paprika
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss tomatoes, bell peppers, and onion in small baking dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast until partially charred, turning every 15 minutes, about 45 minutes. Cover with foil; let stand 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add chile; fry until darkened and slightly puffed, turning once, about 30 seconds. Transfer to small bowl. Add enough hot water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes.
Peel and seed ancho chile, tomatoes, and bell peppers; place in blender. Peel onion; coarsely chop and add to blender.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add almonds; sauté until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer to blender. Add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, vinegar, bread, and paprika to blender; blend to coarse puree. Transfer to bowl; season with salt. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
