I first had this classic baked aubergine dish in a cafe in Italy and it often appears on menus in Italian restaurants here in the UK. It is an incredibly simple dish where layers mozzarella and aubergine are topped with rich tomato sauce and breadcrumbs, and then baked into a gooey, warm vegetable dish.
It is traditionally served as an antipasti, but I like to have it as a quick, cheap and healthy main meal, with a crisp green salad on the side.
What I like the most about this dish is its simplicity, both in taste and construction, but some wilted spinach in the tomato sauce, or some sauteed mushrooms thrown between the layers of aubergine and mozzarella would go down a treat.
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 large aubergine
1 ball of mozzerella
400mls of passata
1 large handful of breadcrumbs
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
A few basil leaves, finely chopped
Olive oil
salt/pepper
Directions
Slice the aubergine and mozzarella into thin rounds.
Stir the garlic and basil into the passata and season with salt and pepper.
Pour a ladel full of passata into an overn dish and cover with a layer of aubergine. Top with mozzarella, then passata, then repeat until all aubergine and mozzarella is used, finishing with passata.
Top with breadcrumbs, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 200C/Gas Mark 5 for 30 minutes.
Spoon onto two plates and serve with salad.
Image via Gastronomy Domine