Aubergine Parmigiana Style Pasta

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 0.5 tsp of salt. Halve, peel and thinly slice the red onion. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Drain the mozzarella and pull it apart into small pieces.

When the water is boiling, add the penne and cook until tender, 12 mins. Once cooked, drain in a colander, pop back in the pan and drizzle with oil and stir through to stop it sticking together.

Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, 5-6 mins. Stir every couple of minutes. Add the tomato puree and garlic to the pan, stir together and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the chopped tomatoes, water (see ingredients for amount), stock powder and a pinch of sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened, 6-8 mins.

Taste the sauce and add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if necessary. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with half the hard Italian cheese and stir to combine. Put half the pasta in an ovenproof dish. Layer the cooked aubergine slices on top of the pasta and finish with the remaining pasta on top. Put the mozzarella on top, followed by the remaining hard Italian cheese. Switch your oven to grill setting on high heat - grill the pasta until the cheese is golden and bubbly, 5-6 mins.