Davina McCall's stuffed aubergines recipe
These stuffed aubergines can go well as a starter or a main. This is the perfect meal for any time of year.
Davina said: "I haven’t always been a fan of stuffed vegetables, but the filling for these aubergines is really tasty and juicy and I love it. Big tick for this one."
Recipe extracted from Davina’s Smart Carbs, published by Orion Books as a paperback and eBook. See Davina cooking live at the BBC Good Food Show Summer in the City featuring the BBC Good Food Eat Well Show, ExCeL London, 20th-22nd May 2016. Tickets on sale now: www.bbcgoodfoodshowsummerlondon.com
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines
- 1 olive oil, spray
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 100 g ½ large red pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 zest of lemon
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 200 g canned tomatoes
- 25 g black olives, sliced
- 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
- 400 g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed OR
- 250 g cooked chickpeas
- 4 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 25 g pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)
- 25 g Parmesan cheese, grated
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Main
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 25 mins
- Cooking Time: 60 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7. Cut the aubergines in half, lengthways, then cut a border, ½–1cm thick, around the cut side of the aubergine and scoop out all the flesh. Dice the cut flesh and set it aside. Spritz the hollowed-out aubergines with spray oil and place them in a roasting tin. Cover them with foil and roast for 20 minutes until they have softened slightly.
- To make the filling, heat the tablespoon of oil in a wide saucepan. Sauté the onion, pepper and reserved aubergine flesh for a few minutes until they’re starting to soften, then add the garlic. Stir for another minute, then add the oregano, half the lemon zest, the chilli flakes, if using, the tomatoes and 100ml of water. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to the boil, then cover the pan, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the olives, capers and chickpeas, then half the parsley. Cook, uncovered, for another 5–10 minutes until the sauce has reduced, then stir in the pine nuts, if using.
- Divide the filling between the aubergine halves – there’ll be enough to create a nice domed effect. Mix the Parmesan and breadcrumbs with the remaining parsley and lemon zest, then sprinkle this mixture on top of each aubergine half.