Spanish Ratatouille (Pisto Manchego)

Pisto Manchego, or Spain’s answer to ratatouille, is a colorful collection of sautéed summer vegetables topped with the Manchego cheese.

Makes
4 servings
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
2

Pisto manchego, Spain's colorful combination of sautéed summer vegetables, is similar to France's ratatouille. As-is, it makes a wonderful side. When topped with a poached or fried egg, it's a delicious main course. The flavorful tomato juices make crusty bread almost obligatory, but the dish would also pair wonderfully with rice or a baked potato. We liked the effect of using one each of red and yellow bell peppers, but you could use just one color. If you can't find Japanese or Chinese eggplant, a pound of globe eggplant will do, but you may need to increase the covered cooking time by a few minutes.

Tip

Don’t use the seedy core of the zucchini, as it turns soft and mushy with cooking. Don’t skip the manchego cheese; its buttery, grassy flavor is a key component.

Ingredients

1
12-ounce zucchini
2
8-ounce Chinese or Japanese eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1
large yellow onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
2
medium bell peppers (see note), stemmed, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
8
large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¾
teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½
teaspoons dried oregano
1
14½-ounce can diced tomatoes
¼
cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2
ounces Manchego cheese, shaved

Step 1

Trim off the ends of the zucchini, then slice lengthwise into planks, leaving behind and discarding the seedy core.

Cut the zucchini planks into ½-inch cubes and set aside. In a medium bowl, toss the eggplant with ½ teaspoon each salt and teaspoon pepper.

Step 2

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat 6 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the eggplant in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir, cover and reduce to medium.

Cook, stirring, until tender when pierced with a fork but not falling apart, another 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined medium bowl and set aside.

Step 3

To the same pot, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add the zucchini in an even layer and cook undisturbed until well-browned, about 4 minutes.

Stir and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides and tender when pierced with a fork, another 1 to 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl with the eggplant.

Step 4

To the same pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers, ½ teaspoon each salt and teaspoon pepper.

Cover and cook, stirring, until the peppers soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin and oregano, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, then cover and simmer over medium until the flavors have melded, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 5