Stewed Summertime Veg - Pisto

Summertime vegetables are starting to come into the supermarkets and soon they'll be mounded up at the local farmer's markets too! That makes this tapas dish perfect for using the best of the best fresh veg! I love the color and flavour that a bit of smoked paprika gives this particular pan of Pisto. 

Some folks call it ratatouille, some folks call it pisto, some folks call it summer stew. Whatever you call it, you can practically see the vitamins and minerals jumping up and down on all those freshly simmered vegetables ! I made the whole recipe so that we could have it for dinner with linguine fini for soaking up all the good juices. The leftovers will get warmed up, dished into a small bowl and topped with a fried egg for breakfast or plopped on top of pesto and ricotta toasts for a quick lunch.

Here's how I made this batch.

Summertime Stewed Vegetables

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 large sweet white onion, halved length-wise and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large sweet red pepper, chunked

1/2 large sweet yellow pepper, chunked

1 anaheim pepper, thinly sliced

2 handfuls fresh green beans tipped and cut into inch-long pieces

2 medium (8 inch) zucchini, chunked

1 medium eggplant, sliced inch thick and then cut to inch chunks - salted and drained in a colander 

10 cocktail tomatoes, quartered

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (to taste)

2 knobs of butter

a large handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped 

a small handfull of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Making the Dish:

1. Prep the eggplant by chopping, and tossing in a colander with a couple good pinches of Kosher salt. Then, set aside in the sink to drain while you prep the other veg and get the sauté going.

2. Heat a large deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onions and sweat them until they glisten.

3. Add the garlic and peppers and stir into the onions. Sauté for a couple minutes to let them begin to wilt a bit.

4. Add the green beans and continue the sauté for a couple minutes. Stir and toss things around so they don't brown too much.

5. Add the zucchini and eggplant and toss to get the oils and juices coating them.

6. Add the tomatoes, smoked paprika and a generous amount of black pepper. Toss to coat everything and incorporate the spices.

7. Turn the mixture into an oven-proof covered casserole and place in a slow oven (250 degrees F). let stew for 30 minutes to and hour.

8. Prepare pasta or warm an artisan loaf.

9. Just before serving, taste and add kosher salt if needed. Drop the knobs of butter on top, breaking them up and distributing them over and into the pisto. Let them melt into the juices as you toss in the parsley and basil.

NOTES: Don't over cook the veg during the initial sauté prep, if you like a bit of bite to your veg. The oven stewing will finish things nicely and your pisto won't be slushy. Do add a bit of Parmesan cheese when you put it on your plate if you are the fan of cheesy pisto. It stands alone without, but taste is taste. Do add other vegetables if you have them. Olives are also a good addition. This is a dish that lends itself well to adaptations ! Enjoy !