Traditional Spanish Pisto Recipe – Spanish Special
- Prep Time20 min
- Cook Time30 min
- Total Time50 min
Traditional Spanish Pisto Ingredients :
- 3 small zucchinis, diced
- 2 medium red bell peppers, diced
- 2 medium green bell peppers, diced
- 4 medium onions, diced
- 3 small purple eggplants, peeled and diced
- 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes, diced (high-quality tomatoes enhance the dish)
- 5 cloves of garlic, diced
- A pinch of thyme, rosemary, and optionally fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of refined sugar (or substitute honey or brown sugar for a natural option)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: A couple of dried cayenne peppers
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: Fried eggs
- Optional: Manchego cheese or any cured raw sheep’s milk cheese
How To Make Traditional Spanish Pisto
Prepare the vegetables by peeling and dicing them as specified. Layer the diced eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle with kosher salt, and let them sit for at least 10 minutes.
Heat two separate frying pans over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil to each.
In one pan, add the diced onions with a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium-low heat until they become translucent. Cover the pan and allow the onions to poach without browning. Once cooked, transfer them to a large bowl and set aside.
In the other pan, add the diced peppers. Sauté over medium-high heat until they start to brown. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes until the peppers are tender. Transfer the cooked peppers to the bowl with the onions.
Rinse the salt off the eggplant using a mesh strainer.
Repeat the cooking process in separate pans for the zucchini and eggplant: start on medium-high heat, allow them to brown slightly, then reduce the heat, cover, and cook until tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Transfer the cooked zucchini and eggplant to the bowl with the other vegetables, mixing them together to combine flavors.
Add all the spices to the bowl of cooked vegetables and mix thoroughly.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to one of the pans and sauté the diced garlic (and dried cayenne peppers if using) over medium heat until fragrant. Add the peeled and diced tomatoes to the pan and cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens into a tomato sauce. Stir in the sugar and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
In a large frying pan, combine the previously cooked vegetables with the tomato sauce.
Mix everything well and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Adjust seasoning with salt and spices to taste before serving and enjoy!
