Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3 red bell peppers
- 2 sweet peppers (green, long)
- 4 tomatoes (or 1 box tomato pulp)
- 2-3 onions
- 3 garlic cloves (not peeled, crushed with a knife, may be removed after cooking)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Thyme, 1 leaf of laurel, salt and freshly-ground pepper
- Espelette pepper powder (10 minutes before the end of cooking), to taste Optional, but preferred for a taste of Basque Country
- 1 beaten egg (optional, for smoothness)
- IMPORTANT: 1 sugar lump (to remove acidity from the tomatoes)
METHOD
Sauté onions 5 minutes in oil, add bell peppers and sweet peppers, previously cut into strips. Sauté 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add garlic, tomato paste, SUGAR, thyme, laurel, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat and let simmer with lid on for: 30 minutes, 1 hour or longer, to taste and until achieving the desired texture.
Add water during cooking, as needed.
10 minutes before the end of cooking, add Espelette pepper and beaten egg (stir well to mix in the egg).
Remove the sprig of thyme and laurel leaf.
Eat hot with meat, fish and a starch side dish or cold on toasted garlic bread as an appetizer.
It is even better the next day!