Pisto Manchego

Pisto Manchego

Pisto manchego is a humble yet deeply satisfying vegetable stew from the sun-baked plains of Castile-La Mancha, where the summer heat produces intensely flavorful tomatoes and peppers. Unlike French ratatouille, where the vegetables are often kept distinct, pisto is cooked slowly until the vegetables meld into a thick, jammy mixture that concentrates their natural sweetness. Crowned with a perfectly fried egg whose runny yolk enriches the sauce, and accompanied by thick slices of rustic bread for scooping, pisto is the very definition of Spanish comfort food -- simple, generous, and deeply rooted in the land.