Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines
• sliced 1cm/½in thick
• olive oil
• for brushing
• 1 mugful of fresh flat leaf parsley
• 3 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1 lemon
• grated zest only
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 balls buffalo mozzarella about 110g/4oz each
• salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot
• finely chopped
• 1 small plump fresh red chilli
• deseeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• finely chopped
• 8 ripe plum tomatoes
• skinned and chopped
• good pinch of sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Brush the aubergine slices with oil and season lightly. Heat a ridged griddle pan until you feel a good heat rising. Add the aubergine slices and chargrill for about 3 minutes on each side until softened. You need to do this in batches. Remove and leave to cool.
• To make the gremolata
• finely chop the parsley sprigs and mix with the garlic
• lemon zest and rosemary.
• Cut the balls of mozzarella into 1cm/½in slices. Divide the mozzarella and aubergine slices into 4 equal portions. Layer the slices alternately on a lightly greased baking sheet
• sprinkling the gremolata and seasoning between each layer
• to make 4 stacks
• 4-5 layers high
• using the larger pieces for the bases and the smaller pieces on top.
• Bake the stacks in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese just starts to melt.
• Meanwhile
• to make the sauce
• heat the oil in a frying pan
• add the shallot
• chilli and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes
• sugar and seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes until you have a thick sauce
• stirring occasionally. Add the basil. Then leave to cool. Transfer to a food processor or blender and process to make a purée. Reheat the sauce in a clean saucepan and keep warm.
• Place each stack in the centre of a warmed serving plate with the sauce spooned alongside.