Preparation Time
30 minutes
Serves
4
Puree
Whizz some aubergine for a delicious weaning dish.
Finger Food
Drizzle aubergine slices with a little oil and bake for 25 minutes. Serve once cooled.
Ingredients
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2 tbsp olive oil
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2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
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2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
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1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
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2 large aubergines, sliced into 1cm-thick rounds
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250g mozzarella cheese, sliced
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50g Parmesan cheese, grated
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Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
This dish is particularly popular with children who like lasagne. Little helpers can spoon on the tomato sauce and layer all the ingredients.
1. Preheat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Heat half of the olive oil in a medium saucepan and gently cook garlic for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and mixed herbs and simmer until the sauce thickens.
3. Brush both sides of aubergine rounds with the remaining oil. Sauté in a non-stick frying pan over a low to medium heat, turning regularly until very soft (about 5 minutes each side).
4. Season the tomato sauce to taste before spreading a few spoonfuls over the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
5. Layer about a third of the aubergines over the sauce. Then top these with a third of the mozzarella and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Repeat twice more, finishing up with a thin layer of sauce.
6. Cover with the remaining Parmesan and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until bubbling.
Pregnant? Aubergines are rich in folic acid, which helps protect babies from neural tube defects.
Recipe adapted from Little Dish Family Cookbook, by Hillary Graves (£14.99, Little Brown)
