Today’s recipe is from Little Dish Family CookBook and congratulations to them as they won Best children’s food brand in the Little London Awards 2016. This is a nice vegetarian alternative and is usually popular with children who like lasagne. Little helpers can spoon on the tomato sauce and layer all the ingredients.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
2 large aubergines
250g mozzarella cheese, sliced
50g Parmesan cheese, grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Heat half of the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the garlic and gently cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mixed herbs and simmer for15 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, slice the aubergines into 1cm thick rounds. Brush both sides with the remaining oil and sauté in a non-stick frying pan over a low to medium heat, turning a few times until very soft (about 5 minutes each side). It’s important to get the aubergine as tender as possible, so take extra time if needed.
- Season the tomato sauce, to taste. Spread a few spoonfuls of sauce across the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Place about a third of the aubergines in a layer over the sauce. Cover with a layer of mozzarella (again, about a third) and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat twice more, and end with a thin layer of sauce. Cover with the remaining Parmesan and bake for 30–40 minutes until bubbling.
