Cheesy Eggplant and Tomato Spaghetti

• rapeseed oil↗3 tsp tsp
• eggplant↗1

  (about 275 g), thickly sliced into 10 pieces

• vegetarian Italian hard cheese↗15g g

  finely grated

• hazelnuts↗15g g

  chopped

• fresh sage2 tsp tsp

  plus 10 small leaves

• garlic cloves↗4

  finely grated

• large carrot↗1

  (215 g), sliced

• celery stalks↗3

  (165 g), sliced

• Kalamata olives6

  pitted, thinly sliced

• tomato purée↗2 tbsp tbsp
• vegetable bouillon powder↗1 ½ tsp tsp
• whole‑grain spaghetti↗150g g
• cherry tomatoes↗100g g

  halved

• parsley↗handful of

  (10 g), chopped

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C (fan/gas 6) and drizzle 1 tsp of oil onto a non‑stick tray. Brush the eggplant with oil, turn it over and bake for 10 min. Mix the cheese with the hazelnuts. Return the eggplant, sprinkle with sage leaves and the cheese mixture and bake for another 10‑12 min until tender.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a non‑stick pan and sauté the garlic, carrot, celery and chopped sage for 5 min, stirring until softened. Add the olives, tomato purée, bouillon powder and 200 ml water, cover and cook for another 5 min.

3. 3

   Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions, then drain, reserving a little cooking water. Toss the pasta with the cooked vegetables, tomatoes and most of the parsley, adding some reserved water if needed to loosen. Top with the eggplant and the remaining parsley.