This healthy cheesy vegetarian bake is lovely with steamed greens, but equally fantastic with mackerel or poached chicken.
Ingredients
- 6 aubergines, sliced lengthways
- 4 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 150g shiitake mushrooms, sliced and woody stems discarded
- 6cm piece fresh ginger, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ red chilli, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 carrot, coarsely grated
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 4 tbsp mirin or caster sugar
- 60g miso paste
- Soy sauce, to season (optional)
- 500g spinach, washed, blanched and gently squeezed of excess water
- 400g ricotta
Method
- 1. Preheat the grill to medium. Brush the aubergine with 2 tbsp oil, season, lay on a grill pan and cook under the grill, in batches, until golden on both sides. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4.
- 2. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and sauté the onions for 10 minutes until beginning to caramelise. Add the shiitake, ginger, garlic, chilli and sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until the onions have caramelised.
- 3. Add the carrot, tomatoes and mirin and bring to the boil, then turn to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly. Mix in the miso, taste and add soy sauce if it needs salt.
- 4. Lightly oil a deep, 2.5-litre ovenproof dish. Layer one-third of the aubergine in the bottom of the dish. Scatter with half the spinach, then half the ricotta. Spoon over half the tomato sauce. Add half the remaining aubergine, pressing them into the sauce then scatter with the remaining spinach, ricotta and sauce on top. Lastly layer on the remaining aubergine, pressing it into the sauce. Bake for 35-45 minutes until bubbling. Leave for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutritional info
Per serving (based on 8): 255kcals, 15.1g fat (4.8g saturated), 10.8g protein, 20.2g carbs, 16g sugar, 1.8g salt
Wine Recommendation
It’s got to be an Italian red here; premium Valpolicella or Dolcetto hits the mark. A health-giving alternative with the flavours of the bake is pomegranate juice.