Serves 4
Ingredients
200ml olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 x 400g can of plum tomatoes
2 large aubergines
2 x 125 g balls of buffalo mozzarella, sliced
Bunch of fresh basil leaves
100g Parmesan, freshly grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a medium saucepan over a low heat.
When hot, add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent but not coloured.
2 Add the tomatoes, break them up gently with a wooden spoon and simmer for 25-30 minutes to create a thick sauce. Season to taste. Press the sauce through a sieve into a bowl and set to one side. Discard the pulp.
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3 Cut the aubergines lengthways into 5mm slices and sprinkle with a little salt. Leave for about 10 minutes to release their excess moisture. Pat dry with kitchen paper or a tea towel.
4 Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan and shallow fry the aubergine slices; they should be only lightly coloured.
5 Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5.
6 To assemble the dish, spoon a third of the tomato sauce into a shallow ovenproof dish (about 25cmx20cm).
Add a single layer of cooked aubergines, slightly overlapping the slices. Follow with a layer of sliced mozzarella, a handful of basil leaves and a sprinkling of Parmesan.
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7 Repeat the process, finishing with a layer of aubergine. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes until a lovely bubbling crust has formed.
Recipe taken from Cucina, by Angela Hartnett, published by Ebury