Pisto Manchego (Spanish Vegetable Stew)
Local name: Pisto manchego
In short: Tomatoes, sweet peppers, zucchini and onion stewed slowly in olive oil until soft and sweet, served warm with bread or topped with a fried egg. It takes about 1 h 25 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 230 kcal
Pisto manchego is a slow-cooked stew of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and onion from La Mancha, the dry plateau in central Spain. It resembles ratatouille, but the vegetables are cooked until very soft and sweet in plenty of olive oil. People eat it warm as a side dish, on toast, or as a main course with a fried egg on top. It tastes best on the second day.
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and peppers for 10 minutes, stirring, until soft but not browned.
- Add the remaining oil, zucchini and eggplant and cook 10 minutes, stirring often, until they begin to color at the edges.
- Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are very soft and the oil separates around the edges of the stew.
- Taste and adjust the salt and sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature with bread, or top with a fried egg.
Tips
- Cut all the vegetables to the same size and add them in stages, so firm peppers and soft zucchini finish together.
- Pisto freezes well for up to 3 months. Use leftovers to fill empanadas or to top toast.
Questions and answers
What do you eat pisto with?
A fried egg and bread is the classic. It also works as a filling for pies and empanadas, or spooned over toast.
How is pisto different from ratatouille?
Both are slow-cooked vegetable stews. Pisto is usually cooked until very soft, with peppers and tomato leading and olive oil as the main flavor, rather than herbs.
Can I make pisto ahead of time?
Yes. It keeps for 5 days in the fridge and tastes better after a night of resting. Reheat gently in a pan.
How long does it take to make Pisto Manchego (Spanish Vegetable Stew)?
About 1 h 25 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h of cooking.
How many calories are in Pisto Manchego (Spanish Vegetable Stew)?
About 230 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 22 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 230 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 14 g |
| Sodium | 560 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
