Baked Aubergine Parmesan

Ingredients

• 2 aubergines, sliced lengthways into 1cm slices
• 50g plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 120g breadcrumbs
• 700ml passata
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 10g basil leaves, torn
• 200g mozzarella, sliced
• 60g Parmesan, grated
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• Rocket and seed salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Lay the aubergine slices on a board, salt both sides generously and leave for 10 minutes — you'll see beads of moisture pull to the surface. Pat dry firmly with kitchen paper. Water means steam, and steam means soggy aubergine instead of crisp.
2. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat and add the crushed garlic. Cook just until fragrant — 30 seconds, no more. Burnt garlic turns the whole sauce bitter, so watch it and pull it back from the heat the moment it smells sweet.
3. Pour in the passata with a splash of water to loosen — passata on its own simmered briefly tastes of heated tin, but the extra liquid lets the tomatoes break down into something rounder and brighter. Add the torn basil and simmer gently for 10 minutes until glossy and slightly reduced. Taste and season with salt and black pepper — adjust now, properly.
4. Set up three shallow bowls: flour in one, beaten eggs in the next, breadcrumbs in the last. Dust each aubergine slice in flour, dip into egg, then press firmly into the breadcrumbs so they bond in an even coat. Press, don't sprinkle — patchy crumb means patchy crunch.
5. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and shallow-fry the slices in batches, two or three at a time, for 2–3 minutes a side until deep golden. Don't crowd the pan — overlap the slices and the oil temperature drops, the crust softens and you'll steam them instead of frying. Drain on kitchen paper. (Or brush with oil and roast on a tray for 15–20 minutes, turning halfway.)
6. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce across the base of a baking dish. Lay over a layer of aubergine, spoon more sauce on top and scatter with mozzarella and a little Parmesan. Repeat, finishing with cheese on top.
7. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles thickly at the edges and the top is golden with caramelised patches — that catch on the cheese is where the flavour lives. Taste a corner of sauce that's seeped to the edge, and adjust seasoning if it needs it.
8. Rest for 5 minutes so the layers set and slice cleanly. Cut into generous squares, scatter the extra torn basil leaves over the top, and bring the green salad and crusty bread to the table alongside.