Roast aubergine, lentil and tomato bake with herbs

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 2 medium aubergines, cut into chunky pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little more if needed
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 2 x 400g tins green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme, or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Small handful basil, roughly torn, optional
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar, if needed
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Roast the aubergine

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

Put the aubergine pieces into a large roasting tray, drizzle with the olive oil, season well with salt and black pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 30–35 minutes, turning once halfway through, until soft, golden, and catching nicely at the edges.

2. Start the sauce

While the aubergine roasts, heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the red onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 6–8 minutes until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then stir in the tomato purée, oregano, and thyme. Cook for 1–2 minutes so the tomato purée loses its raw edge and the herbs wake up a bit.

3. Build the bake

Add the chopped tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, lentils, red wine vinegar, and a good few turns of black pepper. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and starts to feel properly rounded. If the tomatoes are a touch sharp, add the caster sugar.

Stir through most of the parsley and the basil if using.

4. Bring it together

Once the aubergine is roasted, fold it gently into the lentil and tomato mixture. Tip everything into an ovenproof baking dish if needed.

Return to the oven for 15–20 minutes until bubbling and settled together.

5. Finish and serve

Scatter over the remaining parsley and serve hot.

To serve

Very good with crusty bread, couscous, rice, or some simply dressed greens alongside.

A couple of helpful notes

- This is excellent made ahead, as the flavour deepens nicely once it has had a little time to sit.
- A pinch of chilli flakes added with the garlic would do very pleasant things if you want a little warmth.
- Do not under-season lentils. They are generous, but they do need a bit of guidance.