This is the vegetarian version of the smoked chicken yiouvetsi in the meat section of this website.
I added the little tomatoes to this dish for added flavour. You don’t need them but I had lots of them and dry roasted some on a low temperature (1000C) over sea salt for 3 hours and then keep them in a jar with extra virgin olive oil, a stick of thyme, rosemary and some garlic cloves). When the tomatoes have been finished, I use the oil in dressings or use it again for the same purpose).
Instead of tomatoes, you can just cut and add ten minutes before the end some Odysea flame roasted peppers.
Ingredients (serves 3)
- 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal in 0.5cm pieces
- 150g kritharaki pasta (like orzo)
- A handful of roasted baby tomatoes, if using
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 1 globe aubergine cut in 1cm slices and then in square pieces
- 100g Graviera cheese, roughly grated (can be substituted with parmesan or pecorino)
- A handful of basil leaves, torn
- 1/2 lemon, zest
- extra virgin olive oil for frying
Method
Preheat the oven to 1800C.
Put the aubergine pieces in a collander, spinkle 1 tsp of fine salt and leave for 20 minutes. At the end of this time, rinse and squeeze most of the water out.
Bring a frying pan large enough to take the auberine pieces in one layer to a medium heat and add 3-4 tbsp of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the aubergine and toss to cover in oil all round. Cook turning over regularly till golden on all sides. Drain on some kitchen paper.
Next, bring a sautee pan with a lid or any medium size pan suitable for the oven to a medium heat and add the olive oil. Sweat the onions for 3-4 minutes till translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the carrot and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the kritharaki and mix everything for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the roast baby tomatoes if using, give everything a stir, cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
Take the pan out of the oven, add the aubergine pieces, give everything a good stir and put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the lid, sprinkle the grated cheese over the yiouvetsi and just put it in the oven for a few more minutes without the cover so that the cheese melts.
At the point of serving, sprinkle with some fresh basil, grate some lemon zest and some more cheese if desired.