This month’s IMBB event is hosted by Becks & Posh, featuring vegan cuisine. I’m neither a vegetarian nor I make aware to cook vegan. While looking for an aubergine recipe I stumbled across Jamie Oliver’s . I had no clue how to substitute the mozzarella, until I found “Vegie Cheese” in my favourite health food shop. Now it was easy to cook vegan:

Penne with Tomatoes, Aubergine and Vegi Cheese

What you need for 2 servings of Penne with Tomatoes, Aubergine and Vegi Cheese

1 small firm aubergine, about 200g
1 Garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1 small Onion, peeled and finely chopped
400 grams Can plum tomatoes
1/2 tablesp. Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Fresh or dried chillies, chopped or crumbled,
— optional
Bunch fresh basil, leaves ripped and stalks
— sliced
2 tablesp. Heavy cream
225 grams Penne
100 grams Vegi Cheese
Vegie Cheese for grating

Method:

1. Remove both ends of aubergine and slice it into 1/2 inch slices,
then slice these across and finely dice into 1/2 inch cubes.

2. Now, put a large saucepan on the heat and drizzle in 4 to 5
tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. When it’s hot, add the cubes
of aubergine, and as soon as they hit the pan stir them around with
a spoon so they are delicately coated with the oil and not soaked on
one side only. Cook for about 7 or 8 minutes on a medium heat.

3. Then add the garlic and onion. When they have a little color, add
the canned tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar. Stir around and season
carefully with salt and pepper. Add some chopped fresh or crumbled
dried chilli if you want . Add the basil stalks, and simmer the
sauce around 15 minutes, then add the cream.

4. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pan of salted water
to the boil and add the pasta, cook according to the package
instructions until it is soft but still holding its shape, then
drain it, saving a little of the cooking water.

5. At this point add the lovely tomato sauce to the pasta. Season
to taste with salt and pepper.

I took the pan to the table, tear up the cubed vegi cheese and the
fresh basil, and fold these in nicely for 30 seconds. Then serve
very quickly into bowls.

Serve with more grated vegi cheese if you like.

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