Pisto manchego
Slow-cooked La Mancha stew of peppers, courgette, onion and tomato
Pisto manchego is the summer vegetable stew of La Mancha, the high plains of Don Quixote country: onions, green and red peppers and courgette cooked slowly in olive oil, then simmered with fresh tomato until soft, sweet and jammy. Spain's answer to ratatouille is humbler and softer, with the vegetables cooked one after another rather than all at once. In La Mancha it is eaten with bread and very often topped with a fried egg; it is also served alongside rice or potatoes, or cold the next day as a tapa. Chef's tip: be patient with the onion and peppers; give them a full 15–20 minutes over a low heat until really soft and sweet before the tomato goes in, because that slow start is where pisto gets its deep, mellow flavour.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tablespoons of 3 ⅞ tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a wide, heavy pan or casserole over a medium-low heat. Add 2 onions with a pinch of the salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent.
8 minStep 2: Add 2 cloves garlic, 2 green pepper (Italian frying pepper if possible) and 1 red pepper and cook gently for 12–15 minutes more, until the peppers are completely soft and the onion is pale golden. Stir often; nothing should brown hard.
15 minStep 3: Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat the rest of 2 ⅛ tbsp extra virgin olive oil over a medium-high heat and fry 2 courgettes for 5 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges. Cooking it separately keeps it from turning watery.
5 minStep 4: Add 1 ¾ lb ripe tomatoes to the peppers, season with the rest of 1 ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper and 1 pinch ground cumin, and add 1 tsp sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the tomato starts to thicken.
10 minStep 5: Stir in the courgette and simmer, uncovered, for 10–15 minutes more, stirring now and then, until the stew is thick, glossy and the oil starts to separate at the edges. It should be soft and spoonable, not soupy.
15 minStep 6: Taste and adjust the seasoning. Rest for 5 minutes before serving with crusty bread, or with a fried egg on top if you're not keeping it vegan. It's even better the next day.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pisto manchego take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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