Roast Aubergine, Red Pepper and Tomato Bake with Thyme

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 2 medium aubergines, cut into chunks
• 2 red peppers, cut into thick strips
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 300g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp caster sugar, if needed
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

To serve

• Crusty bread, couscous, rice, or buttery new potatoes
• A few fresh thyme sprigs, optional

Method

1. Roast the vegetables

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

Put the aubergine, red peppers, and red onion into a large roasting tray. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, season well with salt and black pepper, and toss everything together.

Roast for 30–35 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the vegetables are softening nicely and catching a little colour at the edges.

2. Start the tomato base

While the vegetables are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat.

Add the sliced garlic and cook gently for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, thyme, and red wine vinegar.

Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and tastes rounded rather than raw. Add the sugar if the tomatoes need a little help.

3. Bring it together

Once the vegetables are roasted, tip them into an ovenproof baking dish if you want a neater finish, or simply keep them in the roasting tray. Pour over the tomato sauce and gently mix so everything is coated without turning it into mush.

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

4. Finish and serve

Check the seasoning, then scatter over a few extra thyme leaves or sprigs if you like. Serve hot with crusty bread for mopping, or alongside couscous, rice, or new potatoes if you want something a little more substantial.

A couple of helpful notes

- This is very good with a crumble of feta over the top if you want to take it out of strict vegetable territory.
- It also improves if left to sit for 10 minutes before serving, which is helpful and civilised.
- Do not rush the roasting stage. Pale aubergine is rarely anybody’s best work.