Aubergine and pasta salad with honey and walnuts

Aubergine and pasta salad with honey and walnuts is inspired by the popular Spanish dish, berenjenas con miel (aubergines with honey). Similar to roast cauliflower salad with quinoa and roast vegetable salad with quinoa this is a hearty salad packed with a flavour and texture. The salad is almost a meal on its own if served with fresh bread, but equally makes a tasty side dish or starter. The quantities in this pasta salad recipe are sufficient for around 3 servings as a side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized aubergines
• 225g pasta shapes
• 1 medium sized green pepper
• 80g walnuts
• About 5 dessertspoons of honey
• A dash of olive oil
• A pinch of sea salt
• Salad to garnish

Equipment needed

• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Spoon
• Metal baking sheet
• Pan to cook the pasta

How to prepare aubergine and pasta salad

Peel the aubergines. Cut into batons and sprinkle with sea salt. Heat the olive oil in a roasting tin and add the aubergines to the hot oil. Spoon the honey over the aubergines.

Cut up the green pepper, add to the roasting tin, and roast the aubergines and peppers until cooked.

Toast the walnuts on a metal baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes. Check regularly as they don't take long to toast and will burn easily.

Cook the pasta until it is al dente and drain. Here I used tricolour pasta spirals but any pasta shapes could be used.

Place the cooked pasta in a bowl and drizzle over a little olive oil. Add the green pepper, aubergines and walnuts and mix together. If there is any honey left in the roasting tin then add this to the salad. Add green leafy veg or any other garnish of your choice.

Tips

1. Serve the salad whilst still slightly warm or at room temperature.
2. Heat the spoon in hot water before spooning the honey from the jar so that it slides easily from the spoon.

Other salad ideas