Another aubergine goodie! This one is actually better than the zucchini lasagna – but maybe that’s just me, because I love aubergine. This dish is great for a weeknight dinner, because you can make it in advance and just reheat, and the kids will love it too! {I’ve got a fussy little eater at the moment, so anything I can get him to eat that is nutritious too, is a huge plus!}

Here it is – my aubergine lasagna:

For the mince sauce:

1 tsp cumin

1/2 a tsp cayenne pepper

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

500g mince

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 an onion, chopped

1/2 a cup of Cabernet Sauvignon

1 carrot, finely grated

2 tsp tomato paste

Sauté onion and add cumin, pepper & garlic. Add mince and cook. Add half the wine to deglaze pot and let it cook away. Add tomato paste and let it caramelise. {I like to wait a bit before adding the tomatoes or more wine, just to let the tomato paste get a nice caramelised and smokey flavour.}

Add carrot and mix. Add tomatoes and the rest of the wine – season with salt. Now let it simmer on a low heat until all the flavours have mingled nicely.

For the aubergine layer:

2 large aubergines, sliced into 5mm thick slices

olive oil

Grill the aubergine slices in a bit of olive oil in a non-stick pan until golden brown.

For the bechàmel sauce:

3 tbs butter

3 tbs flour

2 cups of warm milk

salt & white pepper

Heat butter in a saucepan and once it’s melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste. Slowly add milk while whisking. Make sure you get the paste to a smooth consistency after every bit of milk added, until all the milk has been added and you’re left with a smooth sauce. Season with salt & pepper.

Place mince sauce in an oven dish, top with the bechàmel sauce, pack the aubergine slices on top and finally, top with grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven of 180C, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy! X