This simple aubergine parmigiana recipe from Marcello Tully makes a cosy mid-week meal. Serve this cheese, tomato and aubergine bake as a hearty side, or as a main meal in its own right with some wholewheat garlic bread and a peppery rocket salad. Parmesan, which is made from animal rennet, is not strictly vegetarian, so if preparing this dish for meat-free guests remember to check with them in advance — vegetarian alternatives are available if they’d prefer.

Aubergine parmigiana (Source: greatbritishchefs.com)

Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

TOMATO SAUCE

  • 385g of tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 20g of butter
  • 100g of onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 190g of tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 14g of tomato purée
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 3g of sugar
  • 30ml of water
  • 9g of cornflour
  • 10g of fresh basil, chopped
  • 15ml of sunflower oil
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 pinch of black pepper

AUBERGINE SLICES

  • 580g of aubergine
  • 4 pinches of salt
  • 4 pinches of black pepper
  • 50ml of sunflower oil

CHEESE

  • 80g of mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 80g of Parmesan, grated

METHOD

1
For the sauce, add the butter and oil to a heavy-based saucepan. Once the oil is hot and the butter is foaming, add the onion and sweat for 2-3 minutes
  • 20g of butter
  • 15ml of sunflower oil
  • 100g of onion, finely diced
2
Add the garlic, tinned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and tomato purée and cook for a further 5 minutes
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 14g of tomato purée
  • 190g of tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 385g of tinned chopped tomatoes
3
Crumble in the vegetable stock cube and add the oregano, salt, pepper and sugar, then stir. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 pinch of black pepper
  • 3g of sugar
4
Dilute the cornflour in the water. Stir it all into the sauce. Turn down the heat and leave to gently simmer for 2-3 minutes
  • 30ml of water
  • 9g of cornflour
5
Stir in the freshly chopped basil, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the finished dish. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside
  • 10g of fresh basil, chopped
6
Lay each aubergine down on a chopping board and slice into 4 lengthways. Season each slice with salt and pepper
  • 580g of aubergine
  • 4 pinches of salt
  • 4 pinches of black pepper
7
Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan and fry the aubergines for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown
  • 50ml of sunflower oil
8
Remove from the frying pan and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil
9
In a small-sized casserole dish, arrange a layer of aubergines on the bottom and then pour over some tomato sauce
10
Sprinkle over some of the Parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat the process to make another layer of each
  • 80g of mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 80g of Parmesan, grated
11
Place into an oven set to 160°C/gas mark 3 for 25 minutes.
12
Remove the aubergine bake from the oven, sprinkle with the reserved fresh basil and serve immediately.