♥︎Tray bake of giant beans with ratatouille vegetables & pistou

For ➍

2 cans giant white beans (400 g each), rinsed & drained

2 red onions, peeled, cut into 8 wedges each

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 eggplant, in pieces

1 zucchini, in pieces

4 small tomatoes on the vine, each cut in 4 wedges

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tbs rosemary needles, coarsely chopped

1 red chilli pepper, in rings

pinch chilli flakes

salt pepper

4 tbs olive oil

For the pistou*:

80 g pine nuts

40 g basil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10-12.5 cl olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Put the beans, all the vegetables, the garlic, rosemary, chilli pepper and chilli flakes, four tablespoons of olive oil, a good pinch of coarse salt and a pinch of pepper in a bowl and toss. Divide the mixture over two baking trays lined with parchment paper.

Slide the baking trays into the oven and roast for 45-60m, until the vegetables are tender and the beans are just a little crunchy. Switch the baking plates halfway through, so that they both receive the same amount of top and bottom heat.

For the pistou, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. Set aside 12 basil leaves. Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. Then, while the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.

Transfer the beans and vegetables to a serving platter. Sprinkle over the rest of the pine nuts and the reserved basil leaves. 

Serve the pistou separately.

*Pistou is the Provencal version of Italian pesto. It's basically the same sauce without Parmigiano.

Moussaka

For ➍ 

600 g potato, sliced 

2 large eggplants, in thin slices of 3 mm. 

2 tbs flour or cornflour oil (for frying) 

handful of fresh parsley (for garnish) 

300 g minced beef or vegetarian minced meat 

1 onion pinch of oregano 

2 cloves of garlic 

1 ts cinnamon 

2 tbs tomato paste 

40 cl tomato cubes 

béchamel:*

30 cl of milk 

30 g butter 

30 g flour 

1 bay leaf 

50 g grated cheese 

pinch of nutmeg 

1 egg 

Heat a grill pan. Brush the eggplants with a little oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Grill them nicely brown and then sprinkle with a little flour. 

Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in a (wok) pan for a few m. Add the minced meat and fry it.  Add the oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper and the tomato cubes and puree. Let this simmer for 20 m. Taste to see if the sauce is well seasoned. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Heat the butter in a saucepan for the béchamel sauce. Add the flour and fry the roux for 5 m. Then add the milk little by little and keep stirring with a whisk until there are no lumps left. Add the bay leaf and let it simmer for a few m. Melt about 25 g of cheese in the sauce and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let the sauce cool down a few m, remove the bay leaf and then also beat the egg into the sauce. 

Grease the baking dish with a little oil. Spread about half of the grilled eggplant over the bottom of the baking dish. Divide the potato slices over this. Cover with the layer of minced meat mixture. Divide the rest of the aubergines over this. Pour the béchamel sauce over this. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. 

Place the moussaka in the oven for about 45 m. 

Let cool a few m, garnish with parsley and divide the moussaka into pieces. 

*Replace the béchamel sauce with 20 cl Greek yogurt mixed with 2 eggs to make a gluten-free moussaka.

Eggplant with feta, mint rice & tomato sauce

For ➍ 

3 garlic cloves

5 tbs mild olive oil

10 cl balsamico

4 eggplants

1 tbs dried oregano

300 g three-color rice or nut rice

1 shallot

400 g polpa with basilic

½ tbs brown sugar

16 caper apples

200 g feta 43+ or vegan alternative

40 g fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Squeeze ⅔ of the garlic into a small bowl and mix with ⅘ of the oil and balsamic vinegar. Halve the eggplants lengthwise, leaving the stem on. Cut the eggplants on the cut side crosswise every centimeter and place them cut side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with half of the balsamic mixture and sprinkle with the oregano. Season with pepper and possibly salt. Bake for 35 m until soft and cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package directions.

Chop the shallot and finely chop the rest of the garlic. Heat the rest of the oil in a small pan and fry the shallot and garlic for 2 m over medium heat. Add the finely chopped canned tomatoes, season with pepper and the brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over low heat for 15-20 m.

Cut the capers in half. Crumble the feta. Remove the leaves from the mint sprigs and roughly chop. Set aside 1 tbs mint (per 4 people) and mix the rest of the mint with the rice. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Sprinkle with the rest of the balsamic mixture and the caper apple halves. 

Serve with the mint rice and the tomato sauce and garnish with the feta, the reserved mint and some pepper.

Fregola & sausage with harissa

For ➋

2 tbs olive oil 

6 large sausages, herby rather than spicy* 

400 g assorted tomatoes** 

150 g fregola*** 

1-2 tbs harissa paste

olive oil 

Warm the oil in a large, shallow-sided pan and fry the sausages over a low to moderate heat until nicely browned. Remove the sausages, slice them thickly then return them to the pan. 

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the sausages, letting them soften and collapse into a rough sauce over a moderate heat. ut a large pan of water on to boil and add a little salt. Tip in the fregola and leave to boil for 10 m. Check its progress regularly, draining it as soon as it is tender. Stir the harissa paste into the tomatoes and season with a little salt. Cook until you have a rich, thick sauce then stir in the drained fregola. 

Check the seasoning and serve. 

*Use eggplant chunks for a vegetarian version. Use more oil. 

**Add a little sugar for a stronger taste.

***Fregola (or fregula) is a Sardinian couscous-like toasted pasta from durum wheat. 

Caponata

For ➍
2 eggplants
½ celery
2 medium onions
2 tbs pine nuts
6 tbs traditional olive oil
400 g canned tomatoes
200 g green olives stuffed with lemon
5 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs granulated sugar
2 tbs raisins
2 tbs capers
15 g fresh basil

Cut the aubergine into 1½ cm pieces and sprinkle with salt. Leave standing for 5 m. Pat dry with kitchen paper. 
Meanwhile, cut the green celery and chop finely. Cut the stems into thin arcs. Slice the onion in thin rings. Heat a frying pan without oil or butter and roast the pine nuts 3 m golden brown. Let cool on a plate. 
Heat half of the oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry half of the eggplant golden brown . Remove from pan and repeat with rest of oil and eggplant. Put all the eggplant together in the pan, mix with the onion and celery and bake for4 m. Add the diced tomatoes, olives, vinegar and sugar. 
Stew with the lid diagonally on the pan over low heat for 30 m until done. 
After 15 m, add the pine nuts, raisins and capers. 
To prevent sticking, toss from time to time. Season with pepper and salt if desired.
Remove from heat and toss in the basil leaves and celery greens.

* Delicious with grilled fish, or / and couscous or ciabatta.
** You can also eat this dish as a starter.
*** You can eat the salad warm, lukewarm or cold.
**** You can make this dish two days in advance, but don't add the basil until just before serving. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

Grilled aubergine with pomegranate & pistachio

For ➍
3 eggplants
¼ ts turmeric
1 tbs garam masala
peanut oil
3 tbs pistachios
1 bunch coriander
1 bunch mint
1 pomegranate
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
1 tbs sugar cubes*
3 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp pilipili

Peel the garlic and shallots. Chop finely.
Chop the coriander and mint leaves until you have 1 tbs of each.
Remove the seeds from the pomegranate.
Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the shallots, garlic, sugar, vinegar, pilipili and 3 tbs water.
Boil for 1 m, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Stir in the chopped coriander, mint and 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds.
Rinse the salt from the aubergines and pat them dry.
Mix 3 tbs oil with the garam masala and turmeric into a paste and brush the aubergine slices with it.
Heat the grill pan and fry them on both sides in beautiful, black lines.
Arrange them in a baking dish. Sprinkle with oil and continue cooking until the aubergines are soft.
Arrange the slices on a serving dish and spoon the dressing over it.
Garnish with the rest of the pomegranate seeds, mint leaves and coriander.
Sprinkle with pistachios and serve.
Serve as an opener or as a side dish at e.g. grilled lamb crown.

* Replace if necessary by honey. Or replace the wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar for a sweeter taste.

Greek grilled vegetables with halloumi

For ➍
250 g mushrooms
1 red chilli, seeded & quartered
2 zucchini, chopped
1 small red onion, peeled & sliced
2 small eggplants, roughly chopped
6 tomatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic
9 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
8 tbs balsamico vinegar
2 tbs sugar
juice of 2 lemons
500 g halloumi cheese, cut into 0.5 cm slices*
½ small bunch basil
salt & pepper

Heat oven to 180°C.

Place the chilli, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, eggplant and garlic in an oven-proof roasting pan. Drizzle with a third of the olive oil and half the vinegar.

Place the halved tomatoes face up in another oven-proof pan. Sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper and drizzle with another third of olive oil and the rest of the vinegar. Place both pans in the oven and roast for thirty minutes, turning vegetables occasionally.

5 m before vegetables are ready, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. When sizzling, let the halloumi slices slide in and sear quickly (2 m a side).

Combine dish and dot with basil.

Serve with bread.

*Obviously you can omit the halloumi. Or serve with grilled fish or chicken.

Read more halloumi recipes: red sparkled halloumi or a recipe for balsamic roasted vegetables.

Frizzone (Italian vegetable stew)

For ➍-➏
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large eggplant, chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium carrots, trimmed & chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1 500 g can cherry tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 ts dried oregano
20 cl water
3 tbs fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup olives, chopped
¼ cup salted capers, rinsed
salt & pepper
2-3 ts aged balsamico vinegar

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide bottom saucepan.
Add the onion, celery, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 to 10 m.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, water, basil, and half the parsley, and cook until the stew has thickened, about 20 m.
Stir in the remaining parsley, olives, and capers.
Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the balsamico vinegar.
Serve warm, or allow to cool to room temperature.

Roasted ratatouille

For ➍
420 g canned chopped tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ ts salt
¾ ts freshly ground black pepper
½ ts sugar
1 tbs finely chopped fresh parsley
½ ts  dried thyme
6 tbs  extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 red peppers, cut into strips
1 green pepper, cut into strips
2 zucchini, cut into 1.5 cm rounds
1 eggplant, cut into 2.5 cm cubes

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Mix together the canned tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, parsley and thyme until combined.
Oil a baking dish with 2 tbs of the olive oil. Start by layering a quarter of the sliced onion in the bottom of the baking dish then top with a quarter each of red and green peppers, zucchini and eggplant. Spoon a quarter of the tomato mixture and 1 tbs of olive oil over each layer. Repeat the process to make 4 layers.
Cover and bake for 45 ms, then uncover and bake for a further 30 m.
Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 ms, then stir the roasted vegetables together before serving.

*Serve tossed with pasta and white beans, nestled in a baguette with brie, served on the side of grilled tuna, mixed with couscous and chickpeas; used as a pizza topping with anchovies and olives; and stirred through a shrimp risotto.

Imam bayildi (Turkish stuffed eggplant)

For ➍
2 medium or 4 small eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced very thin
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
600 g tomatoes, peeled & chopped
4 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbs dill, finely chopped
2 tbs basil, finely chopped (optional)
salt
4 tbs olive oil
4 tbs water
2½ ts sugar
2 tbs lemon juice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Slit the eggplants down the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 m, until the outer skin begins to shrivel. Remove from the oven and transfer, cut side down, to a colander set in the sink. Allow to drain for 30 m.*
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbs of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender, 5 to 8 m. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 s to 1 m, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, herbs, salt to taste and 1 ts of the sugar and 1 tbs of olive oil.*
Turn the eggplants over and place in the pan, cut side up. Season with salt. Fill with the onion and tomato mixture. Mix together the remaining olive oil, the remaining sugar, the water and the lemon juice. Drizzle over and around the eggplants. Cover the pan and place over low heat. Cook gently for 1 to 1½ h, checking the pan for liquid and basting from time to time with the liquid in the pan, and adding water to the pan if it becomes too dry. By the end of cooking the eggplants should be practically flat and the liquid in the pan slightly caramelized. Spoon this juice over the eggplant.
Allow to cool in the pan. Serve at room temperature with börek or flat bread.

*You can roast the eggplant and make the filling through several hours before assembling and cooking the imam bayildi. Once cooked, the finished dish can sit for several hours.

This is a lighter version of a classic Turkish dish. Imam bayildi is a variation of karnıyarık, which contains minced beef, and is served warm (and is close to Greek moussaka).
It spread through the Turkish and Arab world, from Iran to the Balkan, the idea resounding in French ratatouille.

Buran (Baghdad meatballs)

For ➍
500 g eggplant
500 g ground lamb*
25 cl yogurt
2 tbs butter
3 tbs sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
¼ ts coriander
½ ts salt
½ ts cumin
1 ts cinnamon

Cut eggplants in thick slices, put in boiling salted water (1.5 l water with 6 tbs of salt) for 7 m. Remove, let stand 1 h.
Roll meat into small meatballs. Fry in butter. When browned, cover with water and simmer.
Fry eggplant in sesame oil until cooked. Peel, mash, add salt and coriander.
Crush garlic, add to yogurt, mix with eggplant. Put the meatballs on top, sprinkle with cumin and cinnamon.
Serve with some basmati rice or flat bread. Have some sliced oranges as a side dish to counter the garlic smell.

*When using beef meat, add some cinnamon.

This is a slightly adapted Persian recipe from around the 10th century, named after the bride of an Arab caliph in 822.
Almost the same recipe exists in Italy, as a traditional Passover dish, lamb meatballs with eggplant sauce.

Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian pasta with tomatoes & eggplant)

For ➏
6 medium-sized eggplants, about 500 g, peeled if wanted
3 cloves garlic, chopped
500 g sun-ripened plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled & chopped*
6-8 basil leaves, shredded***
450 g spaghetti or rigatoni
60 g grated pecorino romano, salted ricotta or Parmigiano
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil (or corn oil) for frying**
1 small onion (optional)
1 tbs of capers (optrional)
½ ts hot pepper flakes (optional)

Peel and slice the eggplant into 1 cm slices, salt the slices, and let them sit in a colander for about 1 h. (Dice them if wanted). Rinse them, pat them dry (put on some weight to remove moisture), and fry them a few pieces at a time in hot oil, turning them so both sides brown, and setting them to drain on absorbent paper.**
Set water to boil, and while it's heating heat 16 tbs oil in a pot, sauté the garlic (and onion) briefly. Stir in the blanched, peeled tomatoes*. Season with salt and abundant pepper or ½ ts hot pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking the sauce figuring 15-20 m in all. 5 m before it's done, add the shredded basil***.
Keep an eye on the pasta pot while preparing the sauce, and as soon as the water boils salt it and cook the spaghetti.
(Meanwhile, pour oil into a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. Add capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until popped open and crisp, 1–2 m. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.)
When the spaghetti are al dente, drain them and season them with the tomato sauce.
If you are bringing bowls of pasta to the table, divvy the spaghetti into four bowls and divide the eggplant slices among them. If you are instead serving a big bowl of pasta, season the pasta with the tomato sauce and them carefully mix the slices of eggplant into it.
In either case, sprinkle the pasta with much of the cheese, and serve it with the remaining cheese on the side.

* Use different types of tomatoes, sweet flesh tomatoes and tangy Roma tomatoes. Add ½ ts hot pepper flakes if wanted.
** To avoid the oil, bake or grill the eggplants.
*** Add a few stalks of thyme (optional).

'Pasta alla Norma' is a classic dish of Sicily. The lore of its origin goes back to a 19th-century opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, who was born in Catania, Sicily. As his fame grew, especially with 'Norma', a chef from Catania named his creative pasta dish after the opera.

Spaghetti with vegetables & ricotta salata

For ➍
2 large eggplants
500 g small tomatoes, or canned plum tomatoes, drained
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 tbs salt
400 g spaghetti
4 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon crushed dried chillies
large handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
100 g ricotta salata, finely grated (or feta cheese, crumbled)
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Cut off the tops and bases of the eggplants. Cut across into 2. Cut each piece lengthwise into sticks. Place into a colander and sprinkle with 1 ts of salt. Place the colander over a bowl and leave the eggplants for 30-40 m to disgorge some of their juices.
When using fresh tomatoes, squeeze them over the sink to get rid of most of their juices and seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
Pat the eggplants dry with kitchen paper to remove the salt and excess juices.
Heat 4 tbs of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add ½ the eggplants pieces and fry, turning occasionally, until golden-brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Repeat for the remaining eggplant pieces.
Remove the pan from the heat to allow the oil remaining in the frying pan to cool.
Place 4.5 l water into a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the salt, then the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
Shortly before the spaghetti is ready, add the remaining olive oil and the garlic to the frying pan and return it to the heat. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the crushed chillies and the tomatoes and cook over a high heat for 2-3 m.
Add the eggplants and season .
Drain the cooked spaghetti. Add to the sauce.
Add the basil and ½ of the ricotta salata or feta. Mix well.
Spoon equal portions of the spaghetti and sauce into 4 warmed bowls and sprinkle each with the remaining cheese.

All ricotta (meaning 'recooked') varieties are Italian fresh whey cheeses, made from the leftover from the production of mozzarella, pecorino or provolone. To ferment the whey it is heated to make it curl. Then it is heated a second time, so the liquid can be seperated from the cheese. It is made from sheep or cow milk with regional differences.
Ricotta salata is produced from the whey of sheep milk on Sardinia and Sicily and has a mild, slightly salty taste, hence 'salata'. It is sold aged, drained and dried, and can then be crumbled like feta.It suits the bitterness of walnuts and pairs well with the chicory family, such as endives or radicchio di Treviso. It works alongside artichokes or wild mushrooms. Grate over gnocchi or pasta, such as cavatelli, or orchiette, or crumble it on top of a crisp green salad.
Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: a quick spaghetti, spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti alla carbonara, shrimps fra diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.

Lamb meatballs with eggplant sauce

For ➍
meatballs:
500 g ground lamb
½ tbs salt
½ tbs freshly ground black pepper
½ ts ground nutmeg
¼ ts cayenne pepper
5 tbs chopped parsley
5 tbs chopped fresh mint
½ onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs tomato concentrate
5 tbs pine nuts
sauce:
2 eggplants
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, & chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. With wet hands, shape into walnut-sized balls.

Preheat the broiler*. Pierce the eggplants with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil until tender and the skin is charred all over, turning once, about 15 m. Slit the eggplants in half lengthwise and let the steam out. Scoop out the flesh and let it drain in a colander.

Heat the olive oil in a deep, wide pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until wilted.

Stir in the tomatoes and eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cover partially. Simmer 30 m, or until the eggplants have formed a thick, rich sauce.

Serve with some firm pasta al dente. Roasted peppers and/or artichokes cooked in lemon juice**, make good side dishes.

*Use grill instead.
**Use preserved artichokes instead. Drain oil, warm them a little, and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice.

Based on a traditional Italian Jewish Passover dish, this recipe bears a strong resemblance to the Middle Eastern Buran (Baghdad meatballs) recipe.
The image background shows the ghetto in Rome.