Aubergine a la parmigiana

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 00:04:51 GMT

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Spread the breadcrumbs out on a baking tray and bake for 12 minutes, until lightly browned and dried out. Set aside to cool and turn the oven temperature up to 220°C fan.

Step 2

On a large, parchment-lined tray, toss the aubergines with 75ml of oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Spread out as much as possible and bake for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden-brown.

Step 3

Roughly chop the aubergines into a chunky mash, then transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until cool. Once cool, add the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, egg, yolk, flour, breadcrumbs, a third of the garlic, 10g of basil, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well, then with lightly oiled hands, shape the mixture into 16 golf-ball-sized dumplings, about 55g each, compressing them as you go so they hold together.

Step 4

Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. In two batches, fry the dumplings for 3–4 minutes, turning them until golden-brown all over. Adjust the heat if they’re browning too much. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the remaining dumplings in the same way. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into a large sauté pan on a medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, chilli flakes, paprika, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper and cook for 8 minutes or until thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Pour in 400ml of water, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Step 6

Pour the sauce into a medium baking dish, top with the dumplings and bake for 20 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the oven, scatter over the olives, the remaining basil and a grating of Parmesan, and serve.

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