Spanish Vegetable Stew with Eggs (Pisto Manchego)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your ingredients for mise en place: wash and finely chop the yellow onion, mince the garlic cloves, and dice the red and green bell peppers and zucchini into small 1 cm cubes using a sharp chef's knife.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped yellow onion and minced garlic, stirring with a wooden spoon, and sauté for 8 minutes until the onions are soft and pale gold.

3. 3

   Add the diced bell peppers to the skillet with the onions. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally with the wooden spoon until the peppers start to soften slightly and release their aroma.

4. 4

   Stir in the diced zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently until the vegetables begin to blend together and absorb the oil. Add a splash of water if it looks too dry.

5. 5

   Pour in the crushed canned tomatoes and sprinkle the smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens nicely.

6. 6

   Use a spoon to make 4 small hollow wells in the thick vegetable stew. Carefully crack 1 fresh large egg into each well. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes until egg whites are set and yolks are soft.