Pulled Aubergine and Roasted Almond Ragu with ‘Almesan’
Did you know that 53% of Brits find the topic of gut health confusing, and 43% are clueless about how fibre can help?
We decided to solve this dilemma by creating a wicked recipe, with gut-health and almonds at the centre. Recent research has found that eating almonds can support gut health by increasing the fatty acid butyrate, which is associated with multiple health benefits including better sleep, decreased inflammation and decreased risk of colon cancer.
Introducing our Pulled Aubergine & Roasted Almond Ragu with ‘Almesan’ - it's rich and tasty, and contains your daily dose of almonds so you stay super healthy. Don't say we don't look after you!
Serves
Ingredients
For the ragu
<item-todo-done>2 large aubergines<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>60g almonds<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red onion<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp harissa paste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 veggie stock pot mixed with 200ml boiling water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp thick balsamic vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> small amount of rapeseed oil<item-todo-done>
For the ‘almesan’
<item-todo-done>60g almonds<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>5 tbsp nutritional yeast<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> little pinch of Salt & pepper<item-todo-done>
To serve
<item-todo-done>4 portions of rigatoni pasta<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> handful of whole almonds<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> handful of parsley<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Oven preheated to 190˚C, fan setting | Large saucepan | Medium frying pan | Powerful blender
Roast all of the almonds
- Place the almonds into a pan over a medium heat and dry roast for 10 minutes until golden, constantly stirring.
- Once cooked, spoon half of the almonds onto a chopping board and roughly chop - place to one side until needed.
Make the ‘almesan’
- Spoon the remaining almonds into a powerful blender.
- Add the nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Blend until the mixture comes together.
Roast the aubergines
- Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and place onto a baking tray.
- Drizzle with olive oil and cook for 30 minutes, until soft.
- After 30 minutes, remove from the oven, let cool briefly and pull the middle from the skin with forks to create a pulled-like consistency.
While the aubergines cook, make the sauce
- Peel and dice the onions and garlic.
- Place a large pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil.
- Once warm, add the diced onions, garlic and a pinch of salt.
- Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until soft.
- At this point, mix through paprika and cook for a couple of seconds before mixing through the chopped tomatoes, harissa paste, veggie stock, balsamic vinegar and roughly chopped almonds.
- Mix really well until everything comes together and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
While the stew simmers, cook the pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, cooking for 1 less minute than stated.
- Once cooked, drain (saving some of the pasta water).
Bring the dish together
- Stir the pulled aubergine through the sauce and cook for a few minutes to heat everything through.
- Mix the drained pasta through the sauce and add a dash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Time to serve
- Spoon the pasta into serving bowls and top with a good sprinkle of ‘almesan’, a crack of pepper, some whole almonds and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.