MELANZANA PASTA

dinner

gluten-free

summer

Ingredients

Makes 2 serves

Time 1 hour

TAPENADE

1 small eggplant (aubergine)

2 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch of sea salt

½ zucchini (courgette)

½ eggplant (aubergine)

1 or 2 halves of yellow capsicum (pepper)

2 handfuls of pine nuts

150 g (5½ oz) wholegrain pasta or noodles

extra virgin olive oil

grated zest of 1 lemon

15 fresh basil leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

To make the tapenade, roast the unpeeled eggplant with the garlic cloves for 45 minutes until cooked through, taking out the garlic cloves after 25 minutes. Let everything cool and remove the skin from the eggplant and garlic. Using a blender or food processor, mix the eggplant and garlic with the olive oil and sea salt into a creamy tapenade.

Cut the zucchini and remaining eggplant into long thin slices and cut the capsicum in half. Grill all the pieces in a grill pan until light brown stripes appear, then flip everything and grill on the other side. Let the vegetables cool, cut the capsicum into equal-sized strips and then marinate all the vegetables in the tapenade.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden.

Put the pasta or noodles in boiling hot water and cook following the instructions on the packet. Drain and add some olive oil and grated lemon zest. Put the pasta or noodles on 2 plates and divide the grilled vegetable mix between the plates. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and basil to serve.