Marry Me Aubergine Orzo

• Aubergine(2)
• Onion(1)
• Garlic(4 cloves)
• Sun-dried tomatoes(80 g)
• Tomato paste(2 tbsp)
• Orzo(300 g)
• Vegetable Broth(900 ml)
• Coconut cream(120 ml)
• Nutritional Yeast(4 tbsp)
• Baby Spinach(120 g)
• Fresh basil(15 g)
• Olive oil(3 tbsp)
• Chili flakes(½ tsp)optional
• Dried Oregano(1 tsp)
• Salt(1 tsp)
• Black pepper(½ tsp)
• Lemon(1)

Method

1. 1

   Cut {Aubergine} into small irregular bite-size pieces. Finely chop {Onion}, mince {Garlic}, roughly chop {Sun-dried tomatoes}, and pick the leaves from {Fresh basil}.

   ~10 min

2. 2

   Heat {Olive oil} in a wide deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the {Aubergine} and cook until softened and golden at the edges, stirring now and then. Stir in the {Onion} and cook until softened.

   ~10 min

3. 3

   Add the {Garlic}, {Sun-dried tomatoes}, {Tomato paste}, {Dried Oregano}, {Chili flakes}, {Salt}, and {Black pepper}. Cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and everything smells rich and savory.

   ~3 min

4. 4

   Stir in the {Orzo} to coat well. Pour in the {Vegetable Stock}, bring to a gentle bubble, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the orzo is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick, risotto-like consistency.

   ~12 min

5. 5

   Stir in the {Coconut cream}, {Nutritional Yeast}, and {Baby Spinach}. Simmer briefly until the spinach wilts and the sauce turns creamy and glossy. Squeeze in half the {Lemon}.

   ~3 min

6. 6

   Spoon into bowls and scatter over the {Fresh basil}. Serve with the remaining {Lemon} cut into wedges for squeezing over.

   ~0 min