Pisto Manchego (Spanish ratatouille)

Pisto Manchego is a humble, peasant dish that is often referred to as Spanish ratatouille, or simply as 'pisto'.  It includes fresh summer produce such as tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onion and garlic and sometimes eggplant, depending on the region.

This began as a traditional pisto recipe, with some modifications to create a phenomenal low-FODMAP vegetable stew. Pisto is so versatile, you can eat it with just about anything.  Often, you’ll find pisto manchego with eggs (pisto con huevo) as a very popular Spanish meal, but it can be served with meat, fish or poultry, as well.  It's perfect paired with Cheddar Almond Flour Drop Biscuits and grated Manchego cheese.

What is pisto manchego?

Pisto is referred to as Spanish ratatouille, because it features fresh Mediterranean vegetables and is similar to French ratatouille.  It’s a savory summer vegetable stew that is also quite similar to Israeli shakshuka, Italian caponata and Turkish imam bayildi.

‘Pisto’ essentially means ‘crushing or extracting the juice from something’.  Manchego means ‘from La Mancha’, referring to the region where it originated.  In Spain, each region has its own version.  For example, the Andalusian variation is typically made with eggplant.

Some folks confuse this dish with Gazpacho Manchego, which is also a traditional (and astoundingly good) Spanish dish.  Gazpacho Manchego is an easy chicken and rabbit (or use more chicken) stew with a rich tomato broth and is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, to be honest. If you love warm, tomato-y stews, I very highly recommend it.  And, pisto shouldn’t be confused with cold ‘gazpacho’, which is an Andalusian cold summer soup.

Why you'll love this recipe

There are so many reasons why this luscious pisto just might become your favorite new recipe:

• Whole food ingredients – it's made with fresh veggies and is loaded with fiber and nutrients
• Special diet friendly – this summer stew is paleo, made with Whole30 vegetables, is low-carb keto friendly and can be made with all low-FODMAP vegetables and seasonings. It's also one of the best easy, savory low-FODMAP vegan recipes.
• Easy meal prep and great leftovers – simply chop and simmer fresh produce. It's a perfect batch cooking recipe and the flavors deepen after cooking, making amazing leftovers.
• Use up those summer zucchini – looking for summer squash recipes to use that pile of zucchini? This is a great recipe for that.

Is pisto a low-FODMAP stew?

Yes!  I’ve created a low-FODMAP vegetarian recipe that is a no onion, no garlic recipe, featuring low-FODMAP vegetables and seasonings.  The onion has been replaced with leek (green part only) and the garlic is replaced with garlic-infused olive oil.

I enjoy this as a low-FODMAP breakfast with a fried egg, served for lunch or dinner with grilled fish, chicken or shrimp.

Is pisto a keto stew?

Yes!  This is an easy keto meal, with simple keto-friendly fruit and vegetables.  One serving is only 6g net carbs.

Ingredients

This easy vegetable stew is made with simple ingredients:

• Tomatoes – fresh tomatoes add such a bright flavor
• Bell peppers – traditionally, pisto is made with green and red bell pepper, but I chose to use two red peppers instead
• Zucchini – absorbs flavors very well and adds a nice, soft, almost creamy texture when cooked down
• Onion or leek – if you follow a low-FODMAP diet, use the green part of 1-2 leeks, depending on the size.  Otherwise, use one medium yellow onion.
• Garlic – omit for low-FODMAP and use garlic infused olive oil instead of olive oil
• Olive oil or garlic infused olive oil – adds a wonderful flavor and good source of omega-3 fatty acids
• Sherry vinegar – if you don’t have sherry vinegar, use champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar.  The extra acidity balances the sweetness of the other ingredients.
• Sea salt – enhances the flavors. My secret ingredient to take this to the next level is to use kala namak black salt instead of sea salt. Use twice as much kala namak - it has less sodium than regular salt. Read more about my favorite salt in my Kala Namak Ingredient Spotlight.
• Parsley garnish – is nutrient dense and adds a touch of class to any dish

What are the best tomatoes for pisto?

Fresh tomatoes yield the best flavor.  I like to use tomatoes on the vine or a roma variety, but any fresh tomatoes will work well.  If you’re in a pinch, you can use canned tomatoes, but the flavor may not be as robust.

Instructions

This is a very simple, one-pot recipe that can be made in just a few steps:

Removing skins from tomatoes is so easy! Blanching tomatoes allows the skins to soften and crack, making them easy to peel.

• Cut a 'X' in the bottom of each tomato
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the tomatoes
• Boil for 2-3 minutes, until the skins begin to crack

Remove from the water and place in a colander until cool enough to handle.

Remove and discard the skins and chop the tomatoes into half-inch pieces.

Chop the zucchini and peppers, and finely chop the garlic, if using.

Chop the leek (green part only for low-FODMAP) or onion, if using.

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or pot, and sauté the onion or leek and garlic just until fragrant
• Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until soft

How to store

I think the flavors of this dish tend to grow as it sits and makes amazing leftovers.  I often keep this in the fridge for easy meal prep for quick weeknight meals.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen in a tightly sealed container for up to 6 months.

Variations

This is such a versatile recipe and it is highly customizable.  Other vegetables can easily be added:

• Use different squash – try any kind of summer squash such as yellow, patty pan, crookneck, etc.
• Add chard or other leafy greens – kale or collards are great additions
• Mushrooms – add your favorite sliced mushrooms, such as cremini or shitake. Oyster mushrooms are a delicious low-FODMAP mushroom with great flavor.
• Other optional seasonings – these are not traditional pisto ingredients, but make for a divine, rich savory stew.  I love to add: bay leaf, smoked paprika (pimenton), black pepper, saffron and a little sweetener (I like to use stevia). Asafoetida is also a great low-FODMAP garlic substitute to add, as it imparts a garlic and onion flavor to the dish. Gently heat just a couple pinches in the olive oil before adding the vegetables and simmer until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Read more about this delicious garlic alternative in my Asafoetida Ingredient Spotlight.

Serving suggestions

Serve this as a main dish, as a side with grilled meats and a Cheddar Almond Flour Biscuit or as the best, easy tapas (traditionally, small Spanish savory dishes).  It can be served hot or cold.

• Make traditional Spanish pisto manchego with eggs – either fry or poach an egg and serve on top of your pisto.  Or, create a Spanish-inspired shakshuka and place the pisto in an oven-safe pan, make small wells in the stew and crack an egg into each well.  Bake until set.
• Add sausage – such as chorizo or add jamón (Spanish dry-cured ham)
• Add a protein – and serve with seafood, meat or poultry of choice, Spanish sardines, shrimp, grilled or leftover Roast Chicken or fish. This is delicious served with leftover Roast Thanksgiving turkey.
• Balsamic vinegar – add a drizzle on top
• Serve as a topping – on keto-friendly Cauliflower Rice
• Add grated cheese – grated manchego cheese is amazing!

FAQ

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📖 Recipe

Pisto Manchego (Spanish ratatouille)

Author: Tracey Hatch-Rizzi

Traditional pisto manchego (Spanish vegetable stew) is a cooked summer squash recipe that includes fresh produce, simmered to perfection.  This easy zucchini stew features garden vegetables cooked in olive oil, creating a rich, flavorful, very versatile dish, layered with flavor.  It’s naturally low-carb, and one one of the best low-FODMAP vegetarian recipes.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Category: Soups

Cuisine: Spanish

Method: Stove top

Yield: 8 cups

Diet:Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Special Diet:Keto, Low-Carb, Low-FODMAP, Paleo

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 6 tomatoes (medium size)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 zucchini
• 1 onion (yellow, or use leek for low-FODMAP, green part only)
• 3 cloves garlic (omit for low-FODMAP)
• ¼ cup olive oil (or garlic-infused olive oil)
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (and more to taste. Consider trying kala namak black salt. See Notes.)
• 1 handful parsley (fresh - optional garnish)

Instructions

 

Blanch, peel and chop the tomatoes

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the tomatoes.
• Boil for 2-3 minutes, until the skins begin to crack.
• Remove from the water and place in a colander until cool enough to handle.
• Peel the skins and discard.
• Chop the tomatoes into half-inch pieces.

To make the pisto

• Chop the zucchini, peppers and onion or leek into half-inch pieces and finely chop the garlic (if using).
• Add the olive oil or garlic infused olive oil to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat.
• Add the chopped onion or leek and garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
• Add the remaining chopped vegetables, salt and other seasonings (if using) and mix well.
• Cook uncovered until vegetables are soft and the mixture is reduced, but not dry, about 30 minutes.
• Add salt to taste.
• Serve with optional garnish of fresh parsley.

Notes

Cooking time will vary depending on the water content of your vegetables.  If you feel like the pan is getting too dry and the vegetables aren't soft yet, cover and add ½ - 1 cup of water, as needed.

Kala namak black salt – Use in place of regular sea salt.  Be sure to double the amount used, as it has less sodium than sea salt.  Read more about my favorite salt in my kala namak ingredient spotlight.  It adds incredible umami to anything it touches.

Other optional spices

These are not traditional pisto spices, but make for a divine, rich savory stew.  I love to add: 2 bay leaves(remove after cooking), ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton), ¼ teaspoon black pepper, a few threads of saffron and 1 tablespoon sweetener (I like to use stevia).

Asafoetida is also a great low-FODMAP seasoning to add, as it imparts a garlic flavor to the dish.  Simmer just a couple pinches in the olive oil before adding the vegetables and simmer until fragrant (about 30 seconds).  Read more about this spice in my Asafoetida Ingredient Spotlight.

Variations

• Use different squash – try any kind of summer squash such as yellow, patty pan or crookneck
• Add chard or other leafy greens – kale or collards are great additions
• Mushrooms – add your favorite sliced mushrooms, such as cremini or shitake. Oyster mushrooms are a delicious low-FODMAP mushroom with great flavor.
• Other optional seasonings – these are not traditional pisto ingredients, but make for a divine, rich savory stew.  I love to add: bay leaf, smoked paprika (pimenton), black pepper, saffron and a little sweetener (I like to use stevia). Asafoetida is also a great low-FODMAP garlic substitute to add, as it imparts a garlic and onion flavor to the dish. Gently heat just a couple pinches in the olive oil before adding the vegetables and simmer until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Read more about this delicious garlic alternative in my Asafoetida Ingredient Spotlight.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 102 kcalCarbohydrates: 10 gProtein: 4 gFat: 5 gSodium: 213 mgFiber: 4 gNet Carbs*: 6 g

*Net carbs = carbohydrates - fiber

Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.

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