Gigantes Plaki: Traditional Greek Baked Giant Beans vs Pisto Manchego (Manchegan Ratatouille)

Both dishes build on a gently softened onion and garlic base enriched with olive oil and crushed tomato, yet they land in very different places. Gigantes Plaki is hearty and herbal: giant beans are simmered until creamy inside, folded into a tomato sauce with fresh dill, parsley and bay leaf, then baked until a slightly caramelized crust forms on top. Pisto Manchego is a stovetop vegetable dish, where slowly sautéed onions, bell peppers and zucchini simmer in tomato until very tender and the flavors meld.