Sticky Aubergine & Courgette Puttanesca with Roast cauliflower

As I’m writing this, I’m dreaming of the long Summer days and endless warm nights.

This introduction is the perfect one for this recipe, which is packed with beautiful summery flavours that I hope will invoke fond Summer memories.

I’m talking about a whole abundance of Summer vegetables, six enveloped in a deep tomato sauce that coats each morsel perfectly.

Inside you’ll be digging for the hidden olives, and tasting the salty tang of capers on the back of your palate, finished with a warm hint of chilli.

To be completely honest with you, the dish was pretty perfect as it was, but I couldn’t resist adding some roasted cauliflower to it.

You know, it’s my kryptonite. Roasted vegetables are my happy place, and they just transform so many dishes in the simplest but also most complex ways all at the same time.

This dish is not only super healthy and packed full of nutrient-dense ingredients that will keep you full all day, but reminds me of sitting in the sun for lazy long lunches with my friends.

To me, bold Italian flavours are synonymous with this memory.

Now, I know we can’t socialise during the pandemic, but this dish is the next best thing.

Especially when you close your eyes, take a longing mouthful and just let yourself sit and overcome with happiness, both in your mind and belly!

This one takes a little extra time to cook, but it is really worth it to get that deep, intense flavour out of the tomatoes that this dish is just crying out for.

Tomatoes have this incredible way of bringing unique elements to a dish based on what you are looking for.

They can be sweet, or they can be hearty and rich, and the latter is exactly what we are searching for with this one. Once heavy and thick, it can cradle the aubergine and cauliflower and stick to its roasted florets.

Roasting the cauliflower is also a step that adds multiple depths of flavour to this dish.

When you roast a cauliflower, you allow its earthiness and nuttiness to develop deep within itself. The charred tops add a bitterness and roasted sweetness that pairs perfectly in this dish.

Finish the dish by adding a cool, creamy and zingy mint cucumber dip to round the dish off and then the roasted cherry tomatoes add texture and crunch, their juices just popping and oozing into the warm stew underneath.

There are a lot of vegetables in this dish, but you don’t have to use all six.

Hunt around in your fridge, find what needs using up and pop those in. If you have more peppers and no courgettes, don’t worry, this dish is supposed to be simple and relaxed and personalised each time.

You could swap the roasted cauliflower for roasted broccoli instead, or a combination of the two. The green pop of colour adds a fun contrast to the striking reds and oranges from the tomatoes.

The olives, capers, and chilli are classic ‘puttanesca’ a traditional Italian sauce made using these ingredients along with fresh tomatoes.

But I understand they might not be to everyone’s tastes or preferences. You can remove them and replace with a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper instead.

I hope you enjoy this ray of sunshine, love Niki xx