Marcello Tully's cheese and tomato aubergine bake recipe

Method

1. For the sauce, add the butter and the oil to a heavy based saucepan. Add the onion and sweat for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, tinned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and tomato purée and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Crumble in the vegetable stock cube and add the oregano, salt, pepper and sugar, then stir. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil - certainly worth sharing the work with some of the older kids.
4. Dilute the cornflour in the 30ml (1fl oz) water. Stir it all into the sauce. Turn down the heat and leave to gently simmer for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in the freshly chopped basil, leaving some aside to sprinkle on top of the finished dish. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
6. Lay the aubergine down on a chopping board and slice into four lengthways. Season each slice with salt and pepper.
7. Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan and fry the aubergine slices for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
8. Remove from the frying pan and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
9. In a small-sized casserole dish, arrange a layer of aubergine slices on the bottom and then pour over some tomato sauce – leave the kids in charge of layering the bake – the younger ones may need more guidance. Make sure all the cheese goes into the bake and not in their mouths!
10. Sprinkle over some of the Parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat the process to make another layer of each.
11. Place into an oven set to Gas Mark 3, 170°C, fan 150°C for 25 minutes.
12. Remove, sprinkle with the reserved fresh basil and serve immediately.

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