• 1Medium aubergine
• 30gPlain flour
• 50gPanko breadcrumbs
• 2tbspVegan parmesan or nooch
• 1tspDried oregano
• 0.25 tsp Sea salt
• 120mlUnsweetened plain almond milk (or other neutral milk)
• 1tspCornstarch
• 2tbspOil
• 1Can tinned tomatoes
• 0.5 tsp Oregano
• 0.5 tsp Basil
• 0.5 tsp Garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp Sugar
• 0.25 tsp Salt
• 150gSpaghetti

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 200 degrees C and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper

2. 2

   Slice eggplant into thin rounds slightly less than 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle each side liberally with sea salt

3. 3

   Arrange in a circular pattern in a colander and place in the sink to draw out the bitter taste of the eggplant

4. 4

   Let rest for 15 minutes, then rinse and arrange on a clean absorbent kitchen towel. Top with another clean dish towel and lay a baking sheet on top. Place something heavy on top, such as a cast iron skillet, to thoroughly dry for at least 10 minutes

5. 5

   Make marinara sauce by combining all ingredients in small pan and allow to simmer

6. 6

   Prepare your dipping stations by placing almond milk + cornstarch in one bowl; flour in another bowl; and bread crumbs, sea salt, oregano and vegan parmesan (or nooch) in another bowl

7. 7

   Once thoroughly dry, dip eggplant slices in flour, then almond milk mixture, then breadcrumbs. Arrange on the baking sheet and pop in oven to bake for a total of 20-30 minutes.

8. 8

   While the aubergine is in the oven, bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp oil and pull 4-5 aubergine rounds out of the oven at a time and sauté to give them extra crisp and texture. Cook for 2 minutes on each side until browned and then return to oven to continue crisping. Do this in batches until all rounds are browned

9. 9

   Cook pasta according to instructions

10. 10

    Place the aubergine slices on the pasta with marinara sauce on the side so the aubergine doesn't get soggy

11. 11

    Add vegan parmesan to tate