Pesto and Pecorino Aubergine Medallions
A friend of mine made this gorgeous starter for me a few years ago and I asked for the recipe immediately. It’s a lovely, light one with lots of gorgeous flavours. I’ve even made it as a main meal for myself more than once! Best of all, it’s pretty darn healthy (as long as you don’t go mad with the cheese), so gives you a great excuse to have a really big pudding!
Serves 4
- 8 thick slices aubergine 15mm (5/8in) thick
- olive oil for frying
- 60g green pesto
- 125g fresh pecorino cheese, cut into thin slices
- 125g tomato pulp (I make from the flesh – minus skin and seeds – of 2 tomatoes with tomato puree added and mashed up together)
- 85g parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 8 basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
- Fry the aubergine slices for 5 minutes on each side in a pan with a little olive oil. Leave to cool. Spread a little pesto on each slice and top with some pecorino , tomato pulp and parmesan, adding salt and pepper to taste.I don’t bother with the exact weights but use my judgement about putting a reasonable amount on each slice.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the parmesan is golden. Serve with the fresh basil leaves as a starter.
Enjoy!
