Eggplant and ricotta lasagne

SERVES 6 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 35 MINUTES

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 large (400g) onions, chopped finely 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 medium (700g) eggplants, cut into 1cm dice 1 medium (120g) zucchini, cut into 1cm dice 800g can chopped tomatoes 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons caster sugar 500g ricotta cheese (see Julie’s tip) 300ml sour cream 1 cup (120g) grated cheddar cheese 1 cup (100g) grated mozzarella 1 cup (80g) freshly grated parmesan 1 teaspoon ground white pepper 100g dried lasagne sheets rocket or green salad, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in the eggplant and zucchini, then the tomatoes, salt and sugar. Bring to a simmer; simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and the eggplant and zucchini are very soft. Top up the pan with a little water if it is drying out too much before the flavours are rich. The sauce should be fairly thick. 2 Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, sour cream, half the cheddar cheese, half the mozzarella, all of the parmesan and the white pepper in a large bowl. 3 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). 4 Spread half the vegetable mixture in a 25cm x 35cm baking dish. Top with one-third of the ricotta mixture, then place half the lasagne sheets over the top. Repeat. Spread with the remaining ricotta mixture and scatter with the remaining cheeses. 5 Bake the lasagne for 40 minutes or until the top is golden and the pasta is tender. 6 Serve the lasagne with salad, if desired. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.