Tortilla con Pisto: a delicious variation of ratatouille

This is a traditional Spanish recipe for tortilla Espanola topped with pisto, a variation of ratatouille. There is no meat in this dish, so it’s ideal for vegetarians and would make a filling lunch or dinner.

You can create your own homemade pisto if you wish, but a jar of pisto is just as tasty and much quicker if you are in a hurry.

Instructions

Fresh basil leaves or thyme sprigs, for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small sauté pan over a medium flame. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and mix in salt and half the jar of pisto.

Once the pan is hot, add the egg mixture and stir briskly a few times with a wooden spoon to prevent the eggs from sticking.

Shake the pan in a circular motion for 10 seconds to keep the mixture loose as the eggs start to cook. Lower the temperature and cook for one minute more. Place a plate over the pan and invert the pan and plate together so the tortilla winds up on the plate, raw side down.

If the pan looks dry, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Return the tortilla to the pan by sliding it carefully back in, raw side down.

Cook for another 60 seconds, until the bottom has fully set. It’s very easy to burn the tortilla, so make sure the heat isn’t too high, and keep a close eye on it.

Slide the finished tortilla onto a serving plate, and garnish with the remaining pisto and some fresh thyme leaves or basil sprigs.

You can serve the tortilla hot or cold, but whichever you choose, don’t add the topping until ready to serve.

Notes:

Be sure to drain the excess oil from the pisto before adding to the base recipe or using as the topping.