Italian Aubergine Bake

(from the Slimming World Extra Easy Entertaining Book)

• ingredients

  • Low calorie cooking spray
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ tsp sweetener
  • 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp dried mixed Italian herbs
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 large aubergines, cut into 1.5cm thick slices
  • 2 large handfuls of basil leaves
  • 120g Parmesan cheese, grated

  
  

  
  

  
  

  method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4.
  2. Spray a frying pan with low calorie cooking spray, add the garlic and gently stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, sweetener, chilli flakes, dried herbs and cinnamon stick and simmer for 20-25 minutes until thickened. Season well.
  4. Meanwhile, spray the aubergine slices lightly on both sides with low calorie cooking spray, season and cook on a preheated ridged griddle, in batches, turning a few times until completely tender (you could also do this in a frying pan). It's important to get the aubergine as tender as possible, so give it time.
  5. Remove the cinnamon stick from the frying pan and put a few spoonfuls of the sauce in the bottom of a large ovenproof dish. Cover with one-third of the aubergine slices and half of the basil leaves then repeat, finishing with a layer of aubergine.
  6. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the aubergine, sprinkle with the Parmesan and bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

  Tip: Suitable for freezing

  
  

  Note: I added black olives in my version, it was yummy!