Pisto Manchego
Recipe Servings: 4
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Pisto manchego is similar to ratatouille. It can be served
warm to accompany a main dish or cold as a starter or to accompany a salad.
This is an easy recipe for a traditional Spanish dish which originally came
from Castilla la Mancha (hence it's name, Pisto Manchego) but is nowadays a
favourite simple dish cooked and served all over Spain.
Ingredients4 ripe tomatoes
· 2 medium sized onions,
sliced
· 2
green peppers (simla mirch), sliced
· 1 red
pepper, sliced
· 2
courgettes (zucchini), sliced into 1cm thick rounds
· 3
cloves garlic, chopped
· 3
Tbsp olive oil
· 1 tsp
sugar
· 1/4
tsp salt
· A
pinch of black pepper
Method
1. Place the tomatoes in
boiling water for a couple of minutes to loosen the skin.
2. Take them out of the water
and carefully peel them. Cut them into small pieces about 2 cm.
3. Put the olive oil into a
frying pan, and gently fry the garlic and onions for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the peppers and turn up
the heat a little. Cook for five minutes, stirring all the time.
5. Add the courgettes, stir and
cook for five more minutes and then add the tomatoes. Cover the pan, and leave
to simmer for about 15 minutes.
6. Tip in the sugar, salt and
pepper. Turn up the heat and stir well.
7. If the pisto has too much
liquid, let it boil away but keep stirring so that none of the ingredients
stick to the bottom.
8. Serve with crusty bread.
Castile La Mancha guide ~ the heart of old Spain
Visit Castilla La Mancha
Castilla-La-Mancha is the Spain of Don Quijote legend with
immense flat plains, vertiginous canyons, and hilltop castles and windmills
throughout.
Castilla-La Mancha Tourist Sites and Places to Visit
Castilla-La Mancha is situated in central Spain to the east
and south of Madrid. Its regional capital is the historic city of Toledo.
The region is famous for the adventures of the flamboyant
Don Quiote in Cervantes novel "The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La
Mancha" and there is now a Quiote route taking in the important landmarks
of the book including the iconic windmills of Consuegra.
Below we introduce you to the five provinces of Castilla-La
Mancha, offering suggestions and highlights to enable you to plan your perfect
Spanish holiday.
More information
Places to visit: towns and villages
Alarcon - an extremely well preserved fortified
village. Its castle is now a magnificent 4* parador.
Alcala del Jucar - set in a circle of the river Jucar
the village houses rise up above each other set into the white cliff behind
them. Have a drink in one of the bars inside caves in the cliff.
Alcaraz - has a lovely Renaissance Plaza Mayor with two
towers.
Almagro - a wonderful old town with a fully preserved
16 th century open air theatre which is still used today. Visit in July for the
town's theatre festival.
Atienza - a medieval town with arcaded squares and a
ruined castle.
Belmonte - one of the castles the region is famous for.
Belmonte is 15th century and very well preserved.
Calatrava la Nueva - another of the magnificent castles of
the region.
Consuegra - often photographs of this region show a
group of white windmills with black pointed tops. A large group of them can be
seen at Consuegra which are on a ridge above the town along with a ruined
castle. More can be seen at Campo de Criptana.
Cuenca - sits dramatically on top of a
gorge. Visit the hanging houses which are literally hanging over the edge. A
mixture of Moorish, Renaissance and Gothic architecture can be seen in this
beautiful town.
Guadalajara - admire the magnificent detail of the Palacio
de los Ducques del Infantado, a Gothic-Mudejar building.
Molina de Aragon - the ruins of an Arab castle sit above the
town.
Oropesa - the old quarter is charming and the town has great
views to the Gredos mountains. There is a parador in part of the castle in the
town.
Segobria - a ruined Roman city which can be visited.
Siguenza - a beautiful city whose numerous architectural
features have led to its listing as one of Spain's Historic-Artistic sites.
Toledo - one of Spain's greatest cities.
Villanueva de los Infantes - one of the most attractive
towns in Castilla La Mancha.
Castilla La-Mancha tourism and sightseeing
Museums in Castilla La Mancha
Archaeological Museum of Cuenca - from prehistory to the
17th century.
Museum of Abstract Art of Cuenca - the museum is inside one
of the hanging houses of Cuenca and is worth visiting for that alone but the
exhibits are also excellent.
Museo Diocesano, Cuenca - houses the treasures of Cuenca's
cathedral including paintings by El Greco.
Casa-Museo de El Greco, Toledo - contains an important
collection of El Greco's works
Museum of Santa Cruz, Toledo - fine arts museum with a
collection of Flanders tapestries.
Monasteries of Castilla la Mancha
Monasterio de Ucles - this monastery started life as a
medieval castle and became a monastery in the 12th century.
Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, Toledo - a splendid
monastery with a Gothic cloister which has a Mudejar ceiling.
Parks and Countryside
La Alcarria - undulating hills covered in olive groves.
Visit the town of Pastrana when visiting the area.
National Park of Cabaneros in the Toledo Mountains (Montes
de Toledo) - an attractive range of fairly small mountains. Look out for the
cone-shaped shepherd's cabins known as chozos.
National Park of las Lagunas de Ruidera - a series of 16
interconnected lakes.
National Park of the Tablas de Daimiel - marshy wetlands
with raised walkways and observation towers. The wetlands are under threat due
to a lowering of the water table.
Serrania de Cuenca - a mountainous area with an area called
the 'enchanted city', Ciudad Encantada, due to the weird shapes of the eroded
limestone. Beautiful rock pools can be seen at the source of the river Cuervo.
Schwarzenegger's film 'Conan the Barbarian' was filmed here. The Ciudad
Encantada is close to Cuenca.
Sierra de Alcaraz - mountains and gorges and the source f
the Rio Mundo river.
Toledo- a wonderful city and home to Roman, Visigoth and
Goth architecture. El Greco lived here for part of his life and many of his
works can be seen in Toledo.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Castilla-La Mancha
Historic city of Toledo
Historic walled town of Cuenca
Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula
Paradors in Castilla-La Mancha
Paradors are luxury hotels that are in converted historic
buildings or particularly beautiful countryside.
Parador de Alarcon - Alarcon
Parador de Almagro - Almagro
Parador de Albacete - Albacete
Parador de Cuenca - Cuenca
Parador de Oropesa - Oropesa
Parador de Siguenza - Siguenza
Parador de Toledo - Toledo
Gastronomic Highlights
The region is famous for its delicious Manchego cheese, a
sheep's cheese made from the milk of Manchega sheep.
This region is a huge wine producing area and is responible
for two thirds of Spain's total wine production. Its quality is improving year
on year.
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