From Embellish with Relish (Meze Publishing)
Baking instead of frying the aubergine will reduce the amount of fat needed in this dish. It’s very versatile & you can stuff the rolls with your own Bolognese sauce instead of the ricotta & spinach.
Prep time 30 mins
Cooking time 45 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large or 3 medium aubergines
2 tbsp olive oil
Knob of butter
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped clove of garlic
500g baby spinach
250g tub of ricotta
2 tbsp Hawkshead Relish Red Onion Marmalade (or any red onion marmalade)
Salt & pepper
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp mixed dried herbs
4 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
200g grated mozzarella
Method
Heat the oven to 220C / 200C fan / Gas 7 & slice the aubergines lengthways into roughly half centimetre thickness.
Brush both sides of the aubergine with oil & bake in the oven for 12-15 mins until tender, turning over halfway through.
In a large saucepan or frying pan, melt the butter with a little olive oil, add the onion & cook until soft but not coloured, then add the garlic & cook gently for another minute.
Add the spinach leaves, remove from the heat & set aside to cool.
Drain off any watery liquid & transfer to a large bowl.
Mix in the ricotta & Red Onion Marmalade then season with a little salt & pepper.
Place a teaspoon of the filling onto each of the aubergine slices & roll them up, then put them into an ovenproof dish with the join facing down.
Pour over the chopped tomatoes, sprinkle over the dried herbs & drizzle with olive oil.
Mix together the breadcrumbs & grated mozzarella & sprinkle over the top.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins until golden brown & piping hot.
Serve with a fresh green dressed salad.
Tip: Toast some rice in a dry frying pan until puffed & crispy, or pine nuts, & sprinkle over the rolls or salad before serving.