Cover and cook, stirring, until the peppers soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. To the same pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Using the slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl with the eggplant. Stir and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides and tender when pierced with a fork, another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the zucchini in an even layer and cook undisturbed until well-browned, about 4 minutes. To the same pot, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined medium bowl and set aside. Cook, stirring, until tender when pierced with a fork but not falling apart, another 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggplant in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat 6 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. In a medium bowl, toss the eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cut the zucchini planks into ½-inch cubes and set aside. Trim off the ends of the zucchini, then slice lengthwise into planks, leaving behind and discarding the seedy core. ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves Two 8-ounce Chinese or Japanese eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubesĨ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, dividedġ large yellow onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly slicedĢ medium bell peppers (see note), stemmed, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces The result was a lesson in contradictions. Just don’t use the seedy core of the zucchini, as it turns soft and mushy with cooking. We liked the effect of using one red and one yellow bell pepper, but you could use just one color. The flavorful tomato juices make crusty bread almost obligatory, but the dish also would pair wonderfully with rice or a baked potato. Simply delicious.įor the version in our book “Milk Street Tuesday Nights,” we suggest topping it with either a poached or fried egg for a quick but tasty main course. And the buttery, grassy flavor of curls of manchego cheese elevated this dish above a mere side. The fruitiness of good olive oil acted as a binder without producing a greasy porridge. The fresh taste of the vegetables had come through - finely chopped bell peppers, tomato, onion, eggplant and zucchini, each ingredient still intact.
In the kitchens of a trendy Madrid dinner theater called Florida Retiro, chef Joaquin Felipe introduced us to pisto manchego, a colorful combination of sautéed summer vegetables that is Spain’s answer to French ratatouille.