Feeds 4
Prep 15 mins
Cooking Time 35 mins
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants
1 400g tin of crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 tables spoons of olive oil (plus extra for the eggplant)
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
150g mozzarella cheese
A handful of fresh basil leaves
Salt to taste
Method
-
- Preheat an oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Slice the eggplant into circular rounds (approx 1cm thick)
- Cut the mozzarella into slices
- Season the eggplant with salt and place in a colander. Set aside for 15 minutes to draw out the bitter juices. Rinse and pat dry.
- Lay the eggplant on a lined tray and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Bake for 20 minutes or until they start to soften. Remove from the oven.
- In a frying pan add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add crushed garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and add in the crushed tomatoes, plus fill the tin with half a cup of water and add to the frying pan. Season well with salt.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 20 minutes. The sauce needs to be thicker (not too loose) however add a bit of water if it’s too thick.
- In a 32cm X 22cm tray spoon a layer few tablespoons of the sauce spreading out. Layer the eggplant over the sauce, overlapping each piece, so there are no gaps. Place a few slices of mozzarella cheese over the top of the eggplants. Scatter a few basil leaves and finally sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat the process, laying the eggplants, sauce, mozzarella cheese, basil, and Parmesan (there should be two layers).
- Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve hot or cold.
