Aubergine Parmigiana with Halloumi Croutons

Preheat your oven to 240C (220C for fan ovens)/Gas 9.

Place the aubergine chunks on a large baking tray, generously drizzle with olive oil, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast these for 20 minutes before tossing and allowing them to roast for a further 10 minutes.

For the tomato sauce, warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Gently sauté the finely chopped red onion until softened. Stir in the finely chopped garlic cloves and chilli flakes, continue to fry for about a minute until the aroma is released.

Add the canned chopped tomatoes to the saucepan, followed by a sprig of fresh basil, dried oregano, red wine vinegar, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and the Parmesan rind. Stir thoroughly and let it slowly simmer for 20-30 minutes until the mixture has thickened.

Once the aubergines have been thoroughly roasted, carefully remove the Parmesan rind from the tomato sauce and mix in the aubergine chunks, ensuring they are fully coated in the sauce. Transfer to a baking dish before sprinkling over the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the aubergine parmigiana is baking, prepare the halloumi croutons. Lightly drizzle cubes of halloumi with olive oil, roll each piece in sesame seeds, evenly set them on a separate baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp, remember to turn them halfway through.

To serve, spread the halloumi croutons over the baked aubergine parmigiana and garnish with fresh basil leaves.