Trim and discard the ends of the eggplants, wash and dry them, then slice them. Wash and chop the celery. To peel the tomatoes, place them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to cold water to make peeling easier. Cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters.

Wash the bell pepper, remove the seeds, and cut into pieces. Do the same with the onion and the carrot (peel and chop). In a large pot that fits all the vegetables, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the anchovy fillets, bell pepper, onion, half a ladle of broth, carrot, celery, chopped garlic, and half a chili pepper. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes.

Halfway through cooking, add the tomatoes and eggplant (and potatoes and zucchini, if using), 8 basil leaves, capers, and olives.

Mix well and cook until the vegetables are tender. Near the end, sprinkle with oregano. Adjust salt to taste and keep covered until ready to serve. The mixture should never be dry—if needed, add a little broth at a time and stir often.

TIP: Since vegetables cook at different rates, it’s best to add the bell pepper, celery, carrot, and onion first and cook for 7-8 minutes, then add potatoes (if using), and after 5 minutes, add the tomatoes and eggplant (and zucchini, if using), so everything is perfectly cooked but not mushy. If it gets too dry, add a little broth.