Ingredients: Serves 6
- 3 large aubergines, cut into horizontal slices, around ½ cm thick
- Olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
- 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
- 2 x 400 g tins of good quality passata or chopped tomatoes (you may want to blend for a smoother sauce)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 bunch of fresh basil, around 30g
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Vegan mozzarella
Method:
- Slice your aubergines, lightly salt and set aside.
- Finely slice your garlic, then sauté in a pan with a little oil before adding your chopped tomatoes, followed by the balsamic vinegar, oregano and a few fresh basil leaves. Place on a low heat and simmer gently.
- While it simmers, warm another large non-stick frying pan and lightly char your aubergines on either side, then set in a dish to the side – note, you should only cover the bottom layer of the pan with the aubergines, doing them in batches.
- Once all the aubergines are cooked and the sauce is nicely reduced, check the sauce for seasoning, then preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius and get a 15cm x 25cm baking dish.
- Layer up your melanzane by placing a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of aubergines, then cover the aubergines with a little more tomato sauce, a few basil leaves and vegan parmesan – Do not add too much tomato sauce otherwise the dish will have too much liquid, you only need to add a few spoonfuls to each layer.
- Repeat this process until all the aubergines are used up.
- On top of the final layer of tomato sauce, add more vegan parmesan cheese and vegan mozzarella then season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.
- Once cooked, set aside to cool and leave to slightly solidify for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
