What she’d tell you
Salt the aubergine and leave it half an hour. It draws out the water and the bitterness, and it is the difference between a proper parmigiana and a wet one.
What you need
Written for 6. Change that in the app and the amounts follow.
Tick things off as you get them ready.
Continue to the method ↓
How it goes
Slice the aubergines lengthways about a centimetre thick, lay them out, salt them well on both sides and leave 30 minutes. Pat dry.
Heat the oven to 190°C. Brush the slices with 4 tbsp of the oil, lay them on trays and roast 25 minutes until soft and golden.
Meanwhile, soften the sliced garlic in the rest of the oil, add the passata, oregano, sugar and a teaspoon of salt, and simmer 15 minutes until thick.
Layer in a dish: sauce, aubergine, torn mozzarella, parmesan, basil. Repeat three times.
Finish with sauce and the last of the parmesan and bake 30 minutes until bubbling and brown at the edges.
Rest it 10 minutes before cutting.
If you haven’t got it
Aubergine
courgette, sliced and roasted the same way: no salting needed
Mozzarella
any melting cheese; cheddar is not traditional and works perfectly well
Keeping it
Four days in the fridge, and it genuinely improves on day two.
180°C for 20 minutes. Freezes for three months, assembled or baked.
