Name: Melanzane parmigiana
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 6 medium aubergines; olive oil; garlic; 3 chopped tomatoes; 300ml passata; 1tbsp golden caster sugar; 1tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 bay leaves; 2tsp dried oregano; basil chopped; 250 cooking mozzarella sliced; 100 parmesan (or veggie alternative) finely grated

Aubergine Parmigiana topped with Melted Cheese in a Roasting Dish

6 medium aubergines
olive oil
garlic
3 chopped tomatoes
300ml passata
1tbsp golden caster sugar
1tbsp red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
2tsp dried oregano
basil
chopped
250 cooking mozzarella
sliced
100 parmesan (or veggie alternative)
finely grated

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cut the aubergines lengthways into ½ cm thick slices, brush both sides with olive oil and season. Put them in a single layer on non-stick baking sheets and cook for 30-40 minutes, turning once, until the aubergine slices are tender and golden.
step 2
Heat a glug of oil in a pan and fry the garlic for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, sugar, vinegar, bay leaves and oregano, and simmer for 20 minutes until thickened and glossy. Stir in the basil and season.
step 3
Put a few spoonfuls of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a large ovenproof dish, or 2 medium ones. Cover with a layer of the aubergine and mozzarella then repeat, ending with a thin layer of sauce (you’ll have roughly 3 layers). Leave to cool completely. Wrap the dishes in clingfilm, then foil, and freeze for up to 6 months.
step 4
To serve, remove the foil, and leave to thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Remove the clingfilm, sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling, golden, and piping hot in the middle when poked with a skewer. To cook from fresh, sprinkle with the parmesan straight away, and cook for 30-40 minutes until bubbling.