Cauliflower puttanesca with eggplant

Even when the warm weather is starting to show, there are hot dishes that are great all year round. This is the case of the delicious cauliflower puttanesca with aubergines . As well as being a very nutritious recipe , I assure you that it is finger-licking good. Or you can't stop dipping bread in it!

The combination of ingredients is wonderful and gives us a very interesting way to prepare cauliflower in a different way , forgetting about the more common ways, such as steaming or boiling.

Cooking it with eggplant, onion and various tomatoes, adding the flavour of anchovies, olives and capers, transforms this humble vegetable into the star of a dish that, when accompanied by all the luxurious side dishes mentioned above, results in a recipe worthy of the best award.

Don't forget to prepare this cauliflower puttanesca with eggplant that I bring you today, whether it's hot or cold. I assure you that you will enjoy it a lot. And don't forget the bread to accompany it, it's almost a must!

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants (cut into 3cm cubes)
• 1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower, cut into chunks or florets
• 400 g fresh Baby Rosa tomatoes
• 500g fresh Roma tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into small slices
• 100 g pitted black olives
• 90 g of dried cherry tomatoes marinated or in oil
• 50 ml of the marinade or oil from the dried cherry tomatoes
• 6-8 anchovies cut into medium pieces
• 50 g of capers
• 3 sprigs of fresh oregano
• EVOO
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Crispy ciabatta to accompany

Preparation

1. Heat your Le Creuset cast iron skillet with wooden handle over medium heat, using EVOO. For the quantity of ingredients indicated, you will need the large skillet, 28 cm.
2. When done, fry the eggplant cubes until golden brown on all sides. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and remove from the pan. Set aside.
3. Add a little more EVOO to the pan and when it is hot fry the cauliflower in the same way. Season to taste, remove and set aside.
4. Add a little more EVOO to the pan if necessary and add the tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, olives, chopped anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, marinade and oregano sprigs. Season with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt (you don't need to add a lot, as the anchovies and olives will add saltiness).
5. Cook the vegetables in the pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 20 to 25 minutes, until they are tender and soft. A thick sauce should form.
6. When the sauce reaches a thick point, put the eggplant cubes, cauliflower and capers in the pan and cook everything over low heat until the cauliflower is tender or to the point you prefer.
7. Once it's ready, serve it hot as is in the pan, accompanied by a nice, crispy ciabatta and enjoy.

Note

• You can substitute the varieties of tomatoes indicated in the list of ingredients with those found in the market, as long as they are sweet and firm.
• To round off each bite, I suggest you lightly toast the slices of bread and rub them with a clove of garlic. Place a little puttanesca on the slice and you'll see how delicious it is!
• As you already know, and as I always tell you, you can customize the recipe to your liking. If you don't have fresh oregano, you can use dried oregano. Another option is basil or thyme, for example. You can also replace the eggplant with zucchini, or use both. Or add a splash of white wine to the tomato when it starts to be ready and before adding the eggplant and cauliflower. You just have to turn up the heat a little until the alcohol evaporates and then continue with the recipe from step 6.