Ciambotta Calabrese
A hearty Calabrian summer vegetable stew made with aubergines, sweet peppers, courgettes, potatoes, and tomatoes cooked slowly in olive oil.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 285 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
- •Wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 285 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 28 g
- fibre
- 8 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 285 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.
- 2
Add the chopped red onion and fresh peperoncino, cooking for 4 minutes until the onion softens.
- 3
Stir in the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 4
Add the potato chunks and fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally until lightly coloured.
- 5
Toss in the aubergines and sweet peppers, stirring well to coat them in the seasoned oil.
- 6
Cook for 8 minutes until the peppers turn glossy and the aubergines start to soften.
- 7
Add the courgettes, chopped tomatoes, and fine sea salt, stirring to combine thoroughly.
- 8
Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- 9
Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes more to thicken the rich vegetable juices slightly.
- 10
Stir through the torn basil leaves and let the stew rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Chef's tips
Cut the vegetables into similar sizes so they cook evenly without disintegrating. Letting the stew rest off the heat allows the distinct vegetable flavours to meld into a rich sauce.
Ingredient substitutions
- fresh peperoncino → a pinch of dried red chilli flakes
- ripe plum tomatoes → canned whole peeled plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water, or serve at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cutting vegetables too small, which causes them to turn to mush during the simmer.
- •Cooking over high heat, which scorches the bottom rather than drawing out sweet vegetable juices.
- •Skipping the resting time, which is essential for the flavours to harmonise fully.
Serving suggestions
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