Description
Juicy aubergine with tangy tomato, melted mozzarella and fresh basil
Ingredients
- 2 medium size aubergines
- bunch of fresh basil
- 16 oz mozzarella (you will have some left over)
- 1 medium size onion, diced
- 1–2 cloves garlic, diced
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1/4 lemon, fresh
- 1.5 14.5 oz cans of diced tin tomato
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Set your oven to 380 deg F.
- Trim the ends off your aubergine (not the top stem) and slice into 1/2 inches lengthways, stopping just before the stem top. Place into a medium size baking tray, drizzle with some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum and bake for 25-30 mins. To note: further into the cook, these will bake for another 20-25 mins once the other elements are added, so they won’t be 100% cooked through when you take them out the oven.
- Now for the quick tomato sauce – in a medium size pot, get your diced onion simmering on a low heat with a dash of olive oil. Let this cook slowly to get as much flavor as possible, about 10-12 mins, stirring regularly. Add your diced garlic, and simmer for a further 1-2 mins. Now add your 1.5 tins of tomato, tomato paste, squeeze of 1/4 lemon, sugar, and a generous salt and pepper.
- In your empty tin, add 1/3 cup boiling water and add this to the sauce. Turn your heat up to medium, bring your sauce to the boil and let this simmer (keeping with the medium heat) for 15 or so mins. The sauce would have reduced/thickened by this stage and you can remove from the heat. Once Step 5 is completed, you may have some sauce left over. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- While your sauce is cooking in step 4, prepare your sprigs of basil and mozzarella (sliced about 1/3 of an inch thick).
- Remove your aubergine from the oven, and add your mozzarella, basil, and a spoon of your tomato sauce into each slither.
- Place back in the oven (no aluminum) and bake for a further 20-25 mins. The mozzarella should be melted and aubergine soft once done. Enjoy!
Notes
This is a dish I have as a main (good for about 3 portions as long as the aubergines are big enough), but if you were to serve it as a side you could get around 4-5 portions. Although the mozzarella makes it non vegan and slightly heavier, it still feels light after eating as there are no carbs involved. The richness of the mozzarella is also cut with the tangy tomato sauce. Try not to skip on the basil, as the flavor pairing of tomato, mozzarella and basil goes way back, and each flavor brings the other to life. When using aubergine, try not to prepare it too far in advance, as it will discolor as soon as you cut it. Originally, when I had this dish, the tomato sauce had some chili, which was a delicious addition, but feel free to skip if you want a more traditional pairing. 
- Cook Time: 75
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian