Eggplant lasagne

A hearty meal for everyone!

Serves: 8

Prep time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggplants, sliced into 1 centimetre rounds
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ bunch fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 x 400g cans whole tomatoes
• 50g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 800ml milk
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan
• 250g instant lasagne sheets
• 125g mozzarella, sliced

How to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Place eggplant in a single layer on two baking trays lined with baking paper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, season and scatter over oregano. Roast for 35-40 minutes until cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic and basil stalks for 1 minute or until fragrant and then add the red wine. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced. Add the tomatoes and return to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in ¾ of the basil leaves, tearing any large leaves. Remove from the heat and set aside. Squash the tomatoes with a fork.
3. To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes until you have a thick paste. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking occasionally, for 10 minutes or until thick and creamy. Stir through ¾ of the parmesan. Season.
4. Grease a 2.6 litre ovenproof dish. Lay one-third eggplant and tomato sauce over the base, then cover with lasagne sheets and one-third béchamel, then another layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat the layers twice more, finishing with a final béchamel layer. Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan and dot with mozzarella. Scatter with basil leaves, then bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbling, golden and cooked through.