This is a combination of two classic Italian dishes, with a slight twist.

I like to add a little more protein to this veggie-inspired dish by opting for yellow lentil pasta sheets which you can find online. Use them just as you would use regular pasta sheets. They hold incredibly well, add an earthiness to dishes and are a little more blood sugar friendly than your regular white pasta sheets.

This is comfort food at its best. It’s not fussy, but it looks impressive. Once the prep is over, you simply oven cook, and the rest of the work is done for you.

The beauty of this dish is that it can be stored in the fridge for several days, or it freezes well for 2-3 months. You can make this earlier in the week, store it in the fridge and reheat it for a Friday night comfort delight!

If you do try this, I would love you to tag me in any photos or reach out and let me know if you enjoyed it!

Now…onto the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 aubergines, cut into 2cm thick slices
• 8 yellow lentil pasta sheets

For the tomato sauce:

• 2 x tinned tomatoes
• Handful of fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves
• Generous pinch of salt & pepper
• 2 x tsp mixed herbs

For the béchamel sauce:

• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt & pepper
• 250ml non-dairy cream
• 150g grated non-dairy cheese (I like cathedral city)

Method:

For the tomato sauce, blitz the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Fry the aubergine sheets in olive oil in batches (do not overfill the pan) until brown on both sides.

For the bechamel sauce, add all ingredients to a pan on medium heat until combined to form a smooth sauce.

Now begin your layering. Start with a layer of tomato sauce at the bottom of an oven proof dish. Then add a layer of aubergines, followed by a layer of béchamel sauce and then top with a layer of lentil pasta sheets. Repeat the process until all ingredients have been used up. Top with a layer of grated cheese.

Cook in the oven on 170c for 35 minutes. Serve with greens. Delicious!