Pisto with Fried Egg (Spanish Tomato and Courgette Stew)

Pisto with fried egg is a Spanish vegetable stew centred on slow-softened tomato, courgette, pepper and onion cooked in olive oil until thick, glossy and almost jammy. It sits somewhere between a rustic ratatouille and a rich vegetable sauce, but with its own straightforward Spanish character: savoury vegetables, gentle sweetness from ripe tomatoes and peppers, and a warm note of smoked paprika. The fried egg turns it into a complete meal, with crisp edges and a runny yolk that enriches the stew as it breaks. Serve it in shallow bowls for a simple dinner, or use the pisto as a make-ahead base and fry the eggs just before serving.
Cuisine style Spanish home cooking
Spice level Mild
Flavor profile Savoury • Smoky • Rich tomato
Techniques Sautéing • Gentle simmering • Pan-frying
Cooking style Make-ahead friendly • Meal prep friendly
Time commitment Under 1 hour

Why this recipe works

  • Slow-built flavour: Cooking the onion, pepper and courgette in stages lets each vegetable soften properly before the tomatoes reduce into a rich base.
  • Balanced tomato richness: Olive oil rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes, while smoked paprika adds depth without overpowering the vegetables.
  • A complete bowl: The fried egg adds protein and a silky yolk, turning the stew into a simple vegetarian main rather than just a side dish.

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Authenticity notes

  • Home-style Spanish cooking: Pisto is typically a simple, vegetable-led dish built around good olive oil, ripe tomatoes and slow-softened summer vegetables.
  • Egg-topped variation: Serving pisto with a fried egg is a common way to make it more substantial, with the yolk acting almost like a sauce.

Ingredient notes

  • Use ripe tomatoes: Ripe tomatoes give the stew natural sweetness and body; watery tomatoes may need a little longer to reduce.
  • Paprika choice: Smoked paprika gives the dish a deeper savoury note, while sweet paprika keeps the flavour softer and less smoky.

Texture tips

  • For a jammy texture: Keep the vegetable dice fairly small and simmer gently until the mixture is thick enough to mound on a spoon.
  • Avoid excess liquid: If the tomatoes release a lot of juice, continue simmering uncovered and stir more often as the pisto thickens.

Make-ahead tips

  • Make the pisto ahead: The vegetable stew can be cooked in advance, cooled quickly and refrigerated in a sealed container.
  • Reheat gently: Warm the pisto in a frying pan over a low heat with a splash of water if needed, then fry the eggs fresh before serving.
  • Freeze without the egg: Freeze the pisto on its own; cooked eggs do not reheat well and are best made fresh.

Equipment you'll need

Ingredients
Instructions
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  1. Prepare the vegetables: finely chop the yellow onion, dice the red pepper and courgette, and roughly chop the tomatoes. Lightly crush and peel the garlic, then finely chop it.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of the fine sea salt and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and translucent.
  3. Stir in the red pepper and cook for 5 minutes, then add the courgette and cook for 5 minutes more. Keep the heat at medium so the vegetables soften without taking on too much colour.
  4. Add the tomatoes, remaining fine sea salt and the smoked paprika, then stir well. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick, rich and tender.
  5. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Taste and adjust with a little more fine sea salt if needed, then keep the pisto warm on a low heat.
  6. In a nonstick pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over a medium heat. Fry the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are set and the edges are lightly crisp, or cook longer if you prefer firmer yolks.
  7. Spoon the pisto into two shallow bowls and top each with a fried egg. Serve straight away while the egg is hot and the pisto is glossy.

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Recipe notes

Tips

  • For a smoother, jammy pisto, keep the dice small and cook it gently until the oil starts to separate slightly at the edges.
  • If your tomatoes are watery, simmer a few minutes longer, stirring more often, until the mixture is thick enough to mound on a spoon.
  • Eggs should be cooked until the whites are fully set; if serving anyone who is pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised, cook the yolks until firm.

Substitutions

  • Replace smoked paprika with sweet paprika for a milder, less smoky finish.
  • Replace extra virgin olive oil with olive oil for a lighter flavour.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days
  • Cool the pisto quickly, then refrigerate in a sealed container. Reheat in a frying pan over a low heat with a splash of water until piping hot; fry fresh eggs to serve. Freeze the pisto only (without eggs) for up to 2 months and defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

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Pisto with Fried Egg (Spanish Tomato and Courgette Stew)
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Recipe overview

  • Servings: 2 servings
  • Total time: 45min (20min active)
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Cuisine: Spanish
  • Allergens:
    Eggs
Freezer friendly Kid friendly

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