Pisto is the Spanish version of ratatouille. There are many versions of this dish, and this vegetable stew is sometimes used as a filling for empanadas. I am not usually a fan of ratatouille because I find that most restaurants or people cook the dish to death and the vegetables just end up a slimy mess. But when I found a recipe for pisto using pumpkin and butternut squash, I had to try it.
I used a Delicata pumpkin that I bought at the Orbanics market, and a butternut squash for this recipe. The pumpkin had a yellow flesh, that is not as sweet as the orange fleshed pumpkin we can buy here to use primarily in soup and couscous. I loved this recipe. It is full of flavor and goes well with chicken and lamb. I served it with roasted chicken with sumac, onion and pine nuts. You could also serve it as a main dish with rice.
by Sam and Sam Clark - 800 g 1-3/4lb peeled and seeded pumpkin or butternut squash or a combination of both, cut into 2cm (3/4 of an inch) chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 large or 3 medium onions roughly chopped
- 1 red pepper seeded and cut into 1 cm (1/3 of an inch) chunks
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 4 bay leaves preferably fresh
- 1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or marjoram
- A few grates of nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
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12
tablespoons
180ml passata
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar mixed with 4 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts lightly toasted
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Sprinkle the pumpkin with the salt and set aside. In a large, deep frying pan (about 30cm or 11 inches in diameter), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and stir until the onions are soft and light brown.
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Add the red pepper and saute for an additional 10 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves and rosemary, and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Add the pumpkin and reduce the heat; saute for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is barely soft. Add the oregano or marjoram, nutmeg, cumin and the passata. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender. Add the vinegar-water, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, with the toasted pine nuts.