Traditional pisto (Spanish vegetable stew)

Name: Traditional pisto (Spanish vegetable stew)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Spanish recipes
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm dice; 2 courgettes, cut into 1cm dice; 1 red onion, cut into 1cm dice; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 green pepper, cut into 1cm dice; 1 red pepper, cut into 1cm dice; 6 tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice; 1 bay leaf; 1 rosemary sprig; Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle; 30g manchego cheese (optional)

Portion size: Serves 4-6
Prep time 15 min. Cook time 30 min
Difficulty: easy

Pollyanna Coupland

Food producer, delicious.

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Pisto is a Spanish stew packed with summer vegetables, including courgette, aubergine, peppers and tomatoes. Learn how to make this versatile dish with our simple recipe.

Why it’s so good: Pisto is often thought of as ‘Spanish ratatouille’ for its similarities, but it is – dare we say it – better than the French version. The vegetables are diced much smaller, creating a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Versatile dish: Serve the stew hot, cool, with eggs or pork, as a side dish or, as we’ve done here, with some cheese shaved over the top.
Make ahead: Pisto is a great candidate for batch cooking if you’ve got a summer glut of vegetables – and tastes even better the next day.

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Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1 aubergine, cut into 1cm dice
2 courgettes, cut into 1cm dice
1 red onion, cut into 1cm dice
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green pepper, cut into 1cm dice
1 red pepper, cut into 1cm dice
6 tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice
1 bay leaf
1 rosemary sprig
Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle
30g manchego cheese (optional)

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Method

Put a large shallow pan over a high heat, add the oil, then the aubergine and courgettes and cook until golden, tossing occasionally. Turn down the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic and peppers, then season with salt and pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes until softened, stirring often.
Add the tomatoes (along with any juice left on the chopping board), bay and rosemary, stir, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and season if needed. Serve with a drizzle of good quality Spanish olive oil and shavings of manchego cheese (see tips).