Aubergine bake

205 calories per serving (one ball of mozzarella) 269 calories per serving (two balls of mozzarella)

OUR low-cal version of an Italian classic — melanzane parmigiana — makes a comforting and delicious supper dish.

There’s lots of oil in the traditional version, but we’ve cut back on that to keep the calories down, while making sure there’s still plenty of tasty sauce.

Use one or two balls of mozzarella as you like, but remember that more mozz means more calories. Check that your mozzarella is suitable for vegetarians.

SERVES 4

● 4 large aubergines, sliced into 1 cm rounds

● Low-cal olive oil spray

● Handful of basil leaves, torn

● 1 or 2 balls of half-fat mozzarella

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● 1 onion, finely chopped

● 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

● 1 tsp oregano

● Small pinch of cinnamon

● Small pinch of sugar

● 200 ml red wine

● 2 x 400 g can of chopped tomatoes

● Freshly ground black pepper

PREHEAT the oven to 200c/ fan 180c/gas 6. You may need to cook the aubergines in a couple of batches. Line two large baking trays with nonstick baking paper. Arrange the slices of aubergine on the trays, then mist them very lightly with oil, you will probably need about 3 sprays per tray. Put the baking trays in the oven and roast the aubergine slices until they are soft and the flesh is golden brown in patches. This will take about 40-45 minutes. Remove the aubergines from the oven and set them aside to cool while you cook the rest of the slices in the same way. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry over a low heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle over the oregano, cinnamon and sugar and give everything a quick stir. Pour in the red wine and turn up the heat, then simmer quite briskly until the liquid has reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes and season with pepper, then simmer for at least 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Take a large ovenproof baking dish and spread a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Cover with a layer of aubergines and some roughly torn basil, then continue adding layers of sauce and aubergines until you have used everything up, you should have at least 3 layers of aubergines. Finish with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Slice the mozzarella as thinly as you can and arrange it over the aubergines and sauce. It doesn’t matter if there are gaps, it will spread a little during cooking. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the aubergines are very tender and the mozzarella has melted and browned a little. Serve with a green salad.