Ciambotta, Stewed Summer Vegetables

Ciambotta is a southern Italian stew packed full of beautiful summer vegetables, textures and flavour. Made with zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers and tomatoes it's light yet hearty, healthy and good!

Ciambotta, also known as Cianfotta, Giambotta or even 'Italian ratatouille' is a beautiful summer dish from the south of Italy often found in CampaniaCalabriaBasilicata and Puglia.

It's made with a variety of summer vegetables that are all stewed down with garlic, tomato and basil providing a mix of different tastes and textures.

Like a lot of Italian dishes, Ciambotta can vary from region to region and with what vegetables are in season. Sometimes even beef or sausage can be added.

This is the type of dish that's suited to using up lots of summer veggies and can be tweaked to your personal taste or with whatever you have on hand.

Serve Ciambotta as a side dish or an antipasto with some crusty toasted bread, it's easy and good!

See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips and variations. For the full printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Onion – you can use white or brown onion. We like to finely chop ours but some versions keep it on the chunky side.
• Bell peppers – we use 2 red and 1 yellow but you don't need to stick to this use whatever coloured peppers you prefer.
• Zucchini and eggplant (courgette & aubergine) – make sure they are firm and not bruised.
• Tomatoes – we used cherry tomatoes but you can use any kind of tomatoes you like.
• Crushed tomatoes (polpa) – you can also use passata (tomato puree).

Visual walk-through of the recipe

1. Chop the onion – finely chop the onion and add it to a large pan alongside a whole, peeled garlic clove and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute on medium-low.
2. Add the potato – Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into medium-sized cubes then add them to the onion. Saute the potatoes and onions while prepping the rest of the veg (about 10 minutes).

1. Prep rest of veg – cut the zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers into medium-sized cubes (keep them all roughly the same size).
2. Cook – add the chopped veg to the potatoes with a good pinch of salt. Add the crushed tomatoes and water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

1. Uncover – remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes on low. Once cooked add in some freshly torn basil leaves.
2. Serve – check for seasoning (add salt if needed) and serve.

Recipe tips

• Adapting the recipe – with recipes like this we always recommend making it as close to the written recipe as you can and then adapt it to your own preference. For example, you might decide to add more tomato or fewer bell peppers or adjust it to whatever veggies you have to hand.
• Consistency – Ciambotta is not overly saucy but the consistency will vary depending on how much water is released from the veg. If you need to reduce the liquid turn up the heat and simmer the veg until it has reduced. In contrast, if you prefer it on the saucy side you can add more crushed or fresh tomatoes.

Serving suggestions

Ciambotta is good served warm or at room temperature on its own as a hearty, healthy veggie meal or as a side dish to grilled meat or fish.

We often serve it with grilled chicken or skewers such as spiedini grilled, marinated pork tenderloin, salmon or white fish.

It's also good served as an antipasto alongside some crusty bread.

More good Italian side dishes to try

Sides

Pipi e Patati (Calabrian Peppers and Potatoes)

Sides

Peperoni Ammollicati (Peppers and Breadcrumbs)

Sides

Italian Green Beans In Tomato Sauce

Sides

Baked Spinach Balls with Parmigiano Cream

Ingredients

Makes 6 - 8 servings

• 1 white onion
• 1 zucchini ((courgette))
• 1 eggplant ((aubergine))
• 3 bell peppers
• 2 medium potatoes ((about 350g/12.3oz))
• 1 garlic clove
• 4.5 oz (125g) cherry tomatoes ((about 15 tomatoes))
• 5 tablespoons Crushed tomatoes or Passata
• 1/2 cup (125ml) water
• small handful Fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• salt

Method

1. Finely chop the onion and add it to a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a whole peeled garlic clove. Saute the onion on a medium-low heat.

2. Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into medium-sized cubes and add it to the onion. Stir then let it saute on medium-low while you cut the rest of the veg.

3. Cut the zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers into medium sized pieces all roughly the same size. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

4. Add all the veg to the potatoes and drizzle over another 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add a good pinch of salt, stir then add the crushed tomatoes and water.

5. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 20 minutes until the veggies are soft. Uncover the pan and turn the heat to low, cook for another 15 minutes uncovered.

6. Once ready, turn off the heat and add in freshly torn basil leaves. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed, serve.

Kitchen notes

1. 1. Adapting the recipe with recipes like this we always recommend making it as close to the written recipe as you can and then adapt it to your own preference. For example, you might decide to add more tomato or fewer bell peppers or adjust it to whatever veggies you have to than
   2. Consistency Ciambotta is not overly saucy but the consistency will vary depending on how much water is released from the veg. If you need to reduce the liquid turn up the heat and simmer the veg until it has reduced. In contrast, if you prefer it on the saucy side you can add more crushed or fresh tomatoes.
   3. Storage The Ciambotta will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated or eaten at room temperature.
   4. Serving sizes the serving size is based on serving this as a side dish.