Spetsofai (σπετζοφάϊ), is an unusual word to pronounce, but a very hearty and tasty dish to eat.
The dish is sausages (loukanika), peppers and eggplant in a rich tomato sauce. Spetsofai traditionally hails from the Pelion region of Thessaly.
Today, I share a recipe from my yiayia's (grandmother) cookbook, which is easy to follow and takes under 30 minutes to make.
I recommend also serving it with feta and some crusty bread to mop up the delicious and tangy sauce.
Ingredients
- 6 sausages (loukanika), cut into bite sizes
- 3 capsicums, cut into strips
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 eggplant, cut into squares
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 400g tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pinch oregano, dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch smoked paprika (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the sausages until cooked and browned, then take them out of the pan and set aside.
- Using the same pan, add a little more olive oil and the capsicums, onion, eggplant and tomato paste. Cook, stirring gently, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, cup of water, herbs and spices, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes with the lid on.
- Transfer the sausages back to the pan, give everything a good stir and allow it to simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Your Spetzofai is now ready to be eaten. Serve with bread. Enjoy!
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