Italian Eggplant Parmigiana with Tomato and Mozzarella

Wash and trim the eggplants, slice lengthwise about 1cm thick, layer in a colander and salt with roughly 1 1/2 tsp salt for 20 minutes.

Chop the half onion and carrot, finely blend with 5 tbsp olive oil, add to a pot with 2 tbsp water and cook gently for 10 minutes.

Crush 1323g canned tomatoes, add to the pot, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining roughly 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and half the basil after switching off the heat.

Thoroughly blot the drained eggplant, place 100g flour on a plate and lightly dust both sides of each slice.

Pour sunflower oil about 1cm deep into a sturdy skillet and heat over medium. Fry eggplant in uncrowded batches until golden on both sides, adding carefully to avoid splashes, then drain.

Heat the oven to 180°C. Cut 500g fresh mozzarella into roughly 1cm pieces and drain in a sieve.

Spread a thin sauce layer in an oven dish and arrange eggplant slices without gaps. Repeat layers of sauce, remaining basil, mozzarella and pecorino, finishing with sauce; reserve 20g pecorino for later.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 180°C, uncover and bake 10 minutes, then add the reserved 20g pecorino and bake another 10 minutes to melt.

Rest 10–15 minutes out of the oven, divide into four servings and refrigerate leftovers within two hours.