Ingredients for 6-8 people (for a rectangular baking tin measuring 35 x 28 cm): For the homemade lasagna sheets (see recipe here):300 g plain flour (plus a few extra spoonfuls to help roll out the pasta)3 eggs1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus 2 tbsp to add to the water the lasagna sheets are cooked in) salt *** For the béchamel sauce:½ l milk50 g butter50 g plain flour½ tsp nutmeg salt *** For the filling:2 aubergines1 kg cherry tomatoes250 g mozzarella cheese1 sprig of basil100 g grated aged pecorino cheese3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil to grease the baking tin (plus plenty for frying the aubergines) salt
Start by preparing the béchamel sauce: melt the butter over a very low heat in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. When it has melted, add the flour and stir them together for 2-3 minutes with a whisk, taking care not to let the mixture brown. In the meanwhile, bring the milk to the boil and pour a little into the saucepan; stir well and, very slowly, add all the milk while stirring continuously. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, over a very low heat, still stirring all the time so that the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. When you turn the heat off, season with salt and nutmeg. Set the béchamel aside and, to prevent a “skin” from forming on top, cover the surface with cling film.
To prepare the rest of the filling for the lasagne: wash the aubergines and cut them lengthways into slices (3-4 mm thick). Arrange them in layers in a colander, sprinkling each layer with a little coarse salt. Place a plate on top and leave for half an hour so that they release their bitter water. Afterwards rinse the salt off the slices of aubergine and pat them dry with a cloth. Fry them in hot olive oil, a few at a time; use a slotted spoon to remove the slices and lay them on absorbent paper to eliminate the excess oil. Wash the cherry tomatoes, pat them dry and then cut them in half. Grease the bottom of the baking tin with 3 spoonfuls of oil, “spread” a few spoonfuls of béchamel in it and add ⅓ of the tomatoes. Create a layer of lasagna with the rectangular sheets of pasta, laying them one beside the other, put some more béchamel on top, followed by slices of fried aubergine and another ⅓ of the tomatoes; season with salt, then add pieces of mozzarella and finish off with a sprinkling of grated pecorino. Repeat this procedure again, garnish with basil leaves, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and cook in a preheated oven, at 200 °C, for about 30 minutes. Leave the lasagne to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. If you would prefer to prepare a lighter version of this dish – which is still delicious – you can grill the aubergines instead of frying them.
This is a rather elaborate recipe, but it’s exquisite flavour and success at the table will repay the effort of any cook who decides to prepare it!