Ingredients: Serves 6

• 3 large aubergines, cut into horizontal slices, around ½ cm thick
• Olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
• 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
• 2 x 400 g tins of good quality passata or chopped tomatoes (you may want to blend for a smoother sauce)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 bunch of fresh basil, around 30g
• Vegan parmesan cheese
• Vegan mozzarella

Method:

1. Slice your aubergines, lightly salt and set aside.
2. Finely slice your garlic, then sauté in a pan with a little oil before adding your chopped tomatoes, followed by the balsamic vinegar, oregano and a few fresh basil leaves. Place on a low heat and simmer gently.
3. While it simmers, warm another large non-stick frying pan and lightly char your aubergines on either side, then set in a dish to the side – note, you should only cover the bottom layer of the pan with the aubergines, doing them in batches.
4. Once all the aubergines are cooked and the sauce is nicely reduced, check the sauce for seasoning, then preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius and get a 15cm x 25cm baking dish.
5. Layer up your melanzane by placing a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of aubergines, then cover the aubergines with a little more tomato sauce, a few basil leaves and vegan parmesan – Do not add too much tomato sauce otherwise the dish will have too much liquid, you only need to add a few spoonfuls to each layer.
6. Repeat this process until all the aubergines are used up.
7. On top of the final layer of tomato sauce, add more vegan parmesan cheese and vegan mozzarella then season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.
8. Once cooked, set aside to cool and leave to slightly solidify for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.