Baked Eggplant And Bocconcini In Tomato Sauce

Day 5 of our carbless diet - We were ready to get back to our diet on Sunday night after eating whatever we wanted on Saturday. Since we spent the afternoon on Lygon Street we decided on an Italian dish and a meatless one too. With the prize of buffalo mozzarella at $75/kg I went for the cheaper cousin bocconcini which works equally well here. The third tummy who has since moved out joined us for dinner and took some home for his next day's lunch. Not very often I feel satisfied after a meatless meal but I certainly didn't miss meat then.

serves 6 with a side salad
you'll need;
3 large eggplants, cut into 1 cm discs
250 g of bocconcini or mozzarella, sliced
a handful of basil leaves
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

for the sugo (tomato sauce);
8oo g can of crushed tomatoes
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
a dash of chili flakes (optional)

Cut the eggplants into 1 cm discs.

Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and grill on a hot griddle til golden and tender.

To prepare the sugo - saute onion and garlic with plenty of olive oil. When onion is soft and translucent add in the crushed tomatoes and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble - Rub an oven proof dish with olive oil and ladle a little sugo at the bottom of the dish. Arrange a layer of eggplants over.

Ladle more sugo over the eggplant sliced before adding a layer of bocconcini slices, a sprinkle of grated parmesan, basil.

Repeat the process until all ingredients are used up.

Bake in a pre-heated oven til golden and bubbly (about 20 minutes).

We served it with some dressed rocket.

This is a very satisfying vegetarian dish, even for carnivores like us.