Grilled Eggplant, Smoky Tomato Sauce and Carrot Top Pesto with Pasta A little smoke, a little spice and a great use for a typical throw-away green Serves 4
R ECIPE + S T Y L ING + PHO T OGR A PH Y
Rebecca Wellman
I am that person who constantly scrolls through recipes and photos and reads cookbooks like novels and is a bit obsessed with all things food. So, when I came across a photo that had no recipe attached, but appeared to be a beautiful pasta dish with pesto, tomato sauce and eggplant, I felt I needed to bring it to life. While I can’t take full credit for the idea of this recipe, I have created elements that come together in a lovely way, but can also be utilized independently. Use the smoky tomato sauce on a baked vegetable parmesan or with sausage, caramelized onions and mashed potatoes; the pesto on chicken or tofu; the eggplant on flatbread with burrata. The tomato sauce and pesto both freeze well, so while you are making it for this dish, you may as well make extra and pop it into the freezer for a good hit another time. We are on the west coast, yes. And January brings with it a nip and a chill. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t roll out the grill, right? The barbecue is the perfect way to get that smoky flavour without actually having a smoker. I suggest making the sauce at least a day before eating it, as that will allow the flavours to meld and mix and become deeper and more satisfying. 26 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020