A classic aubergine parmigiana with a crunchy gratinated chickpea topping and dollops of basil pesto. Enjoy this classic recipe with an elegant red blend such as the 2020 Pardus by Hein Koegelenberg.

Serves: 4-6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 

Difficulty: easy

Chickpea Topping

1 x 400 g tin of chickpeas, drained

2-3 Tbsp (30-45 ml) extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Aubergine 

olive oil

6 medium sized aubergines, sliced lengthways into 1 cm thick pieces 

salt and pepper

Sauce

olive oil

1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter

1 medium onion, chopped 

2 garlic cloves, chopped 

3 anchovies, chopped 

1 Tbsp (15 ml) dried oregano

2 sprigs of rosemary, picked and chopped

2 Tbsp (30 ml) red wine vinegar

2 x 400 g tins of good quality whole peeled tomatoes, crushed lightly by hand

1 C (250 ml) water

5 leaves of fresh basil, roughly chopped 

salt and pepper

To Assemble 

250 g mozzarella, grated

150 g grated Parmesan 

5 leaves of fresh basil, roughly chopped

To Serve

 2-3 Tbsp (30-45 ml) basil pesto

Chickpea Topping

Preheat the oven to 200 °C and line a baking tray with foil.

Place the chickpeas into a sieve or colander and rinse well under running water. Allow to drain and dry for 15-20 minutes or pat dry with some kitchen towel. The drier they are, the better they will crisp up in the oven.

Place the chickpeas into a clean bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix and coat the chickpeas and then transfer to the baking tray.

Place into the oven to roast, tossing occasionally, until they are golden brown and crunchy. Remove from the oven and set aside. Once cooled, roughly chop.

 Aubergine

Increase the oven temperature to 220 °C.

Line two baking trays with baking paper and lay the aubergine slices out on the trays. Brush the aubergine with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes rotating the trays half way through until they start to turn golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. (Tip: if you have an air fryer you can air fry the aubergine slices).

Sauce

Set a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add a glug of olive oil and the butter. Add the onions and fry until they soften and start to colour. Add the garlic, anchovies, oregano and rosemary and fry for 2 minutes until fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar, then add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened and the liquid has reduced by about half. Remove from the heat and season to taste, then add the 5 roughly chopped basil leaves.

To Assemble

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Start by adding a layer of sauce to an oven proof dish. Add a layer of aubergine, then top with sauce and a little mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Repeat this layering process until you have used all of the ingredients, adding the chopped fresh basil to one of the middle layers.

Give the top a generous final cheese layer, then top with chopped chickpeas (use as much or as little as you like). Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

To Serve

Let the melanzane rest for at least 5 minutes, then dollop with spoonfuls of fresh basil pesto. Portion and serve.

Tip: this dish is even more delicious if baked the day before and allowed to sit for a day for the flavours to meld. Simply heat up when ready to serve.