Italian Stuffed Aubergine

Containing all of your five-a-day in one meal, these stuffed aubergines are not only delicious, but also incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients

  • 2 aubergines
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 50g pitted green olives, chopped
  • Handful of basil leaves, chopped
  • 125g ball of mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces
  • Handful of fresh white breadcrumbs

Method

  1. Heat your oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / Gas Mark 7. Slice the aubergines in half vertically, leaving the stem intact. Take a small knife, and cut a border inside each aubergine half, about 1cm deep. Scoop out the aubergine flesh using a teaspoon, so that you have 4 shells left.
  2. Brush the shells with a little olive oil. Season and place in a baking dish then cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Chop the scooped out flesh and leave to one side. 
  3. Meanwhile, add the remaining oil to a non stick frying pan and tip in the onion. Cook until soft and translucent, and then add the chopped aubergine flesh and cook through. Add in the garlic and tomatoes and cook for a further three minutes. Finally, stir in the olives, basil, mozzarella and seasoning.
  4. When the aubergine shells are tender, remove them from the oven and reduce the heat to 200°C / 180°C / Gas Mark 6. Pile the vegetable mix into the shells, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and drizzle over a little more olive oil. Return to the oven and bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese is gooey and the breadcrumbs are golden.

Lead image: Zufar Kamilov via Getty images.