Aubergine with Tomato and Cheese
Serves: 1. Cook & prep 40–50 mins
Goes well with sweet potato wedges as an alternative to rice or pasta.
INGREDIENTS:
- olive oil for frying
- 40g Mozzarella cheese
- 100g chopped tomatoes (carton or tinned)
- 1 tsp tomato puree
- 40g onion (I use spring onion)
- 1/3 tsp garlic paste
- 1/3 tsp chilli paste (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ small aubergine (around 110g)
- Fresh basil leaves
METHOD:
- Slice the aubergine in 0.5 cm thick rounds.
- Layer the slices in a colander, salting each layer.
- Let stand for 30 minutes.
- Rinse well and pat dry (aubergines soak up oil like a sponge and salting helps reduce that).
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce:
- Cut the onion into fine slices.
- Crumble the cheese.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
- Add the onion and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and beginning to colour.
- Add the garlic and chilli paste, stir in to the onions and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée to the pan, then bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened and reduced in volume (watch for burning).
- When you are happy with the thickness of the sauce, take the pan off the heat.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir the crumbled mozzarella into the tomato sauce and let the mozzarella melt slowly.
Now cook the aubergine:
- Heat 3 teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat; add the aubergine slices to the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Try to avoid adding more oil.
- Leave the slices of aubergine in the pan.
- Now take the pan of tomato sauce and spoon the sauce in to the frying pan of aubergines slices.
- Give everything in the pan a gentle stir and ensure the sauce has heated through.
- Scatter with torn basil leaves and serve, with rice or pasta (or potato wedges).
