Melanzane

Name: Melanzane
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes

Melanzane is a classic Italian recipe made by layering aubergine, passata and cheese sauce – served with a green salad, it’s a summer must-eat.

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the onion for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the passata, chopped tomatoes, oregano and sugar and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large pan of boiling water to the boil, add the aubergine slices and simmer for 5 minutes, until soft but still holding their shape. Drain on kitchen paper.
Pour half the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish. Top with half the aubergine and season to taste. Spoon over half the béchamel sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with the remaining aubergine, sauce and béchamel. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until bubbling. Serve with a green salad.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the onion for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the passata, chopped tomatoes, oregano and sugar and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large pan of boiling water to the boil, add the aubergine slices and simmer for 5 minutes, until soft but still holding their shape. Drain on kitchen paper.
Pour half the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish. Top with half the aubergine and season to taste. Spoon over half the béchamel sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with the remaining aubergine, sauce and béchamel. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until bubbling. Serve with a green salad.