Ingredients

1 large aubergine

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

340 g tomato sauce (e.g. Crosta & Mollica Puttanesca Pasta Sauce)

1-2 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1 cm slices

1 ball of buffalo mozzarella, cut into 1 cm slices

5 g fresh basil, leaves picked

50 g Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C, fan 180°C.

2. Cut the aubergine in half, top to bottom, and place cut side down on a chopping board. Place a wooden spoon on either side of one of the aubergines. Cut slits (crosswise) into the aubergine, 1 cm apart, taking care not to cut right down to the bottom (the wooden spoon handles will prevent this). Repeat for the second aubergine.

3. Hold the aubergines open, exposing the cuts, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Place in an ovenproof serving dish and bake for 25 minutes.

4. Remove the aubergines from the oven and place the tomato and mozzarella slices and basil leaves between each cut. Pour the tomato sauce around the side. Grate plenty of parmesan over the top of the aubergines.

5. Reduce oven temperature to 200°C, fan 180°C.

6. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, until the aubergine is tender when pierced with a knife. If it feels a little firm, cook for longer.

7. Scatter with basil leaves and serve with a green salad.

   Serves 2