Roasted Aubergine Salad with Tomatoes, Burrata and Pesto
This is a great summer salad, suitable for a lunch or supper, as it’s reasonably substantial and packed full of flavour. The combination of silky, sweet and savoury aubergines is so good with ripe and juicy tomatoes. I made a batch of fresh basil pesto to accompany this salad, but a good quality shop bought product will work very nicely if that’s a step too far.
Roasted Aubergine Salad with Tomatoes, Burrata and Pesto
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large aubergine, cut into thin slices
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
300g fresh tomatoes, washed and halved or sliced
1 burrata or buffalo mozzarella ball, torn
4 tablespoons fresh basil pesto
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
A few fresh basil leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 6.
Place the sliced aubergines on a prepared baking tray (or two), sprinkle with sea salt and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for around 20-30 minutes, turning halfway, until very tender and richly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a little.
Whilst the aubergines are roasting, cut the tomatoes and season them with salt and oil, stirring well so that they are well-coated. Set aside until you are ready to serve.
To serve, put lay the aubergine slices and tomatoes out onto a serving plate and drizzle with a little more oil. Tear the burrata or mozzarella carefully into pieces and dot these around the plate, followed by spoonfuls of pesto. Finish with a sprinkle of pine nuts and some fresh basil leaves to garnish. Serve and eat straight away.