Pisto Con Huevos – A Rustic Spanish Classic

Pisto con huevos is a Spanish version of ratatouille (pisto) topped with an egg then baked in the oven, in my version anyway. Alternatively you can top it with a fried egg or mix the eggs into the pisto like scrambled.

This popular rustic dish is often referred to as Pisto Manchego because it was first developed in central La Mancha. Manchego means “from La Mancha”. You may not know that the true Manchego cheese is made only from whole milk of the Manchega sheep raised in the “La Mancha” region.  Hard cured sheep’s milk cheeses from other regions are called Queso de Oveja Curado.

Ratatouille & Goats Cheese Tartlets Recipe

 

Ratatouille is another one of those forgotten 70’s/80’s dishes that got a bad reputation through over exposure and people making terrible versions with undercooked, too chunky, watery veg. The secret to delicious ratatouille is to chop the veg small enough and all the same size so it cooks down and to flavour it with lots of great seasonings.

Ratatouille & Goats Cheese Tartlets Recipe

Serves 2  Vegetarian

• 1/2 pack frozen puff pastry (defrosted in the fridge overnight so it is still cold when you use it)I use Wrights which comes in 2 blocks.
• 3 slices of goats cheese per tartlet (about 1/2 cm thick)
• 1 or 2 tbsp olive oil  (to brush the tartlets)

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.
2. Flour your board & rolling pin and roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick and cut out two circles from a side plate or bowl about 15 cm diameter.
3. Score a frame of about 1 1/2 cm around the circle with a sharp knife (Do not cut all the way through) and brush the frames with olive oil or beaten egg. Prick inside the frame all over with a fork.
4. Bake for 12 – 15 mins until golden brown and remove the middle circle of pastry so it looks like a big vol au vent. (More 70’s flashbacks!)

Scored Pastry Circles

Cooked Pastry Shells

Meanwhile make the ratatouille:

• 1 red onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 red chilli deseeded & chopped
• 1 small aubergine diced (about 1cm dice for all the vegetables)
• 1 red pepper diced
• 1/2 courgette diced
• 1 big tomato diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• a handful of basil chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• a few sprigs of thyme leaves

1. Cook the onion over a medium heat until translucent then add the garlic & chilli and cook for 2 mins more.
2. Add the aubergine and red peppers, cook for a few mins then add the courgette, tomatoes, tomato paste & thyme leaves and simmer for about 10 mins until vegetables are tender.
3. Add the basil, salt and pepper, stir to combine and taste for seasoning.
4. Fill the pastry shells with the ratatouille ( You will probably have some left over) then top with the sliced goats cheese, drizzle with olive oil & bake for about 6 mins.

You can serve the tartlets with a rocket salad for lunch or I served them with some new potatoes for dinner. The leftover ratatouile can be used as a side dish, as a sauce for pasta, with a cheese omelette or on a toasted baguette with cheese…

Rustic Ratatouille Tartine