Cheesy Aubergine, Mozzarella & Tomato Melts Recipe

Ingredients

2 aubergines
3 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
35g sundried tomatoes
250g cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
A handful of oregano, leaves only
100g mozzarella
1 red onion
50g breadcrumbs
A pinch or two of dried chilli flakes
400g tin of chickpeas
1 lemon
50g rocket

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Method

1. Heat your oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Trim the green tops off the aubergines and halve the aubergines lengthways. Pop them in a roasting tin, cut-side up. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 mins.

2. Meanwhile, tip the sun dried tomatoes into a heatproof bowl (or small pan) and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 10 mins.

3. Slice the cherry tomatoes into quarters. Peel and thinly slice both garlic cloves, but keep them separate. Pick and roughly chop the oregano leaves. Tear the mozzarella into small pieces.

4. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a pan and warm to a medium heat. Slide 1 sliced garlic clove into the pan and fry for 1 min. Add the cherry tomatoes, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 5 mins, till the tomatoes are slightly softened.

5. While the veg fry, peel and finely slice the onion. Drain the sun dried tomatoes and chop them.

6. When the aubergines are cooked, remove the tin from the oven. Divide the garlicky cherry tomatoes between the 4 aubergine halves. Scatter over the torn mozzarella and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Season and return to the oven for 15 mins till the mozzarella is melting and golden.

7. While the aubergine melts bake, pour 1 tbsp oil into the empty pan used to cook the tomatoes (don’t worry if it still contains a bit of sauce) and warm to a medium heat. Slide in the sliced onion, remaining garlic and a pinch of dried chilli flakes (chilli flakes are spicy, so add as much or little as preferred). Fry for 5 mins, till softened.

8. Drain the chickpeas and add to the pan along with the chopped sun dried tomatoes. Reduce the heat and warm through for 5 mins. Stir in the oregano leaves. Grate in the zest from the lemon and squeeze in the juice. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir in half the rocket leaves. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

9. Pile the chickpeas onto a couple of plates, top with the aubergine melts, and serve with the remaining rocket leaves.