Pisto Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Trim and peel the onion; cut in half and slice thinly. Peel and mince the garlic. Core and seed the bell peppers, then cut into 1/2-inch strips. Trim the zucchini and slice into 1/2-inch half-moons. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes; if the eggplant is large or bitter, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss, and let sit 20 minutes, then blot dry with paper towel.

Sweat onion and garlic

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.

Cook peppers and zucchini

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, then add the bell pepper strips. Sauté 4–5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the zucchini slices and continue to cook until zucchini starts to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes more.

Brown eggplant

In a separate skillet, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant cubes in a single layer (cook in batches if needed) and sauté until golden-brown and slightly collapsed, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer the browned eggplant to the pan with the other vegetables.

Add tomatoes and seasoning

Pour the canned tomatoes into a bowl and crush them lightly with your hands or a fork (reserve juices). Stir the crushed tomatoes and any juices into the vegetable pan along with the tomato paste, smoked paprika, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, sugar (if using), 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add 120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable stock or water if mixture looks very thick.

Simmer slowly

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25–35 minutes until all vegetables are very tender and flavors have melded. If the mixture becomes too dry, add up to 2–4 tablespoons of water or stock. Taste and adjust salt and pepper (total salt about 1.5 teaspoons).

Finish and rest

Stir in torn basil leaves and chopped parsley, then remove from heat. Let the pisto rest for 5–10 minutes to thicken slightly before serving. The ragout should be saucy but not watery — spoonable.

Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Drain well.

Combine the rinsed rice, 2 1/4 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon olive oil (or vegan butter) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat uncovered.

When boiling, stir once, reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer undisturbed for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the pan from heat and let it sit, still covered, for 10 minutes to steam. Fluff the rice with a fork just before plating.

Portion the rice onto plates or a shallow bowl and spoon generous amounts of warm pisto over the rice. Garnish with additional torn basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.