Roasted aubergine and red pepper dip

This is probably my favourite simple dip to serve with drinks or even as a light first course. It is always well received and everyone thinks it must be really complicated because the flavours are complex and quite layered.

Begin by dicing one aubergine, 2 de-seeded red peppers and a peeled red onion into roughly even chunks like below. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Spread everything out on a baking sheet and roast at 180 degrees celsius (fan oven) for about 40 minutes, tossing half way through until soft and slightly charred on the edges.   

After a few minutes of chopping there is very little to do to make this delicious dip

Place the roasted mixture in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add a generous tablespoon of tomato puree and pulse until coarsely chopped. And that is it! Check for seasoning and chill until required as the flavours get better over time. Bring to room temperature before serving though.

I like the dip with some texture so don't puree it too much

You can add a little bit of fresh or dried chilli to the mix if you want it more spicy and some chopped flat leaf parsley and lemon juice make a nice addition too but I like it just like this. Very Italian and utterly delicious served with toasted baguette slices.

I cut a baguette into thin slices, drizzle with olive oil and bake them for 8-10 minutes in a hot oven until crisp and lightly golden.