
Roasted mediterranean veg, cream cheese and pesto swirls. Worth all the effort.
Pre-heat the oven to 200°c (fan) and prep two large baking trays with baking paper.
Next, prep the veg. Slice the ends off of the aubergine and cut into thin slices (about 2mm). Hopefully you'll get at least 8 slices, not including the last skin heavy slices. Lay the slices onto the baking tray and brush each slice with a little oil and a sprinkling of salt. Pop them into the oven for 12-15 minutes whilst you prep the courgette and peppers.
Cut the ends off the courgettes and slice into 2mm slices. Trim the ends off the peppers and discard the seeds. Slice each pepper vertically into 4 long strips. Trim the bottoms if needed, to make them roughly the same length as the courgettes and aubergines. Check the aubergine is done by poking a sharp knife into a slice to see it is soft all the way through. Then, set them aside onto a piece of kitchen towel on a plate and leave to cool.
Replace the aubergine with courgettes and peppers, brush them with a little oil and pop them into the oven for 10-15 mins. Check after 10 mins, the courgettes will likely be done a few minutes before the peppers, so take them out and leave the peppers in for a few minutes longer. Once the veg is soft and cooked, place on a piece of kitchen towel on a plate to cool.
Whilst the veg is cooling, mix together the vegan cream cheese with 2 tsp vegan pesto and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper in a bowl. In a small frying pan, lightly fry the pine nuts until they turn golden, watch they don't burn, keep them moving. Stir them into the bowl of creamy pesto, leaving a few to the side for serving.
Now for the layering! Start with a slice of aubergine on the bottom and spread with a thin layer of the creamy pesto mixture, lay a slice of courgette on the top, then a bit more creamy pesto, followed by a pepper slice and a little more creamy pesto. Starting from one end, carefully roll up the veggies into one big swirl, hold it together with a cocktail stick through the middle. Repeat this step until all the veggies are swirled nicely together.
Carefully place them onto a serving plate, sprinkle with the last of the pine nuts and some fresh basil leaves. Enjoy with a glass of prosecco!