Aubergine Parmigiana

Stictly speaking this isn't parmigiana as it should use Parmesan cheese. However as Parmesan cheese isn't vegetarian I used Sainsbury's Basic Italian Hard cheese, which is vegetarian and similar in taste to Parmesan. I would also recommend the exceptionally good hard Italian style cheese from Bookhams, but I've yet to find that for sale anywhere near me.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 50g tomato puree
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 aubergines, washed and sliced into 1cm slices
• 3 x 125g mozzarella balls, sliced into thin slices
• 50g grated hard italian cheese (Parmesan or equivalent)
• 50g grated mozzerella

Method:

1. Fry the onion in the oil until soft.
2. Add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and bay leaves and leave to simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. While that's simmering, cook the aubergine on a griddle or in a frying pan. Cook it on a medium to high heat until each side is nicely browned off, turning it over once each side is done.
4. Put the aubergine on a plate to the side while you wait for it to cool a bit.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.
6. Remove the 3 bay leaves from the tomato sauce.
7. In a couple of large oven proof dishes, spread 1/4 of the tomato sauce over the base of each one.
8. Next layer half the aubergines between the two dishes, then a layer of the sliced mozzarella followed by a sprinkling of 1/4 of the Parmesan in each of the two dishes.
9. Then layer the remaining aubergines on top of the Parmesan layer, followed by the remaining Parmesan.
10. Carefully divide the remaining tomato sauce between the two dishes, trying to not disturb the layer of Parmesan as you spoon it on.
11. Finally sprinkle the grated mozzarella over the dishes.
12. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
13. Serve with a fresh green salad.

Serves 6.