Marcello Tully’s cheese and tomato aubergine bake will see kids stirring, grating, sprinkling and layering.
For the sauce, add the butter and the oil to a heavy based saucepan. Add the onion and sweat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the garlic, tinned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and tomato purée and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Crumble in the vegetable stock cube and add the oregano, salt, pepper and sugar, then stir. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil - certainly worth sharing the work with some of the older kids.
Dilute the cornflour in the water. Stir it all into the sauce. Turn down the heat and leave to gently simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the freshly chopped basil, leaving some aside to sprinkle on top of the finished dish. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
Lay each aubergine down on a chopping board and slice into four lengthways. Season each slice with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan and fry the aubergines for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Remove from the frying pan and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
In a small-sized casserole dish, arrange a layer of aubergines on the bottom and then pour over some tomato sauce – leave the kids in charge of layering the bake – the younger ones may need more guidance…make sure all the cheese goes into the bake and not in their mouths!
Sprinkle over some of the Parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat the process to make another layer of each.
Place into an oven set to gas 3, 170°C, fan 150°C for 25 minutes.
Remove, sprinkle with the reserved fresh basil and serve immediately.
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A recipe from the Great British Chefs main meals collection.
Guideline daily amounts are calculated for a standard adult woman.