Dready's Pomodoro Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 300 g minced meat, mixed
• 300 g tomatoes, pureed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste, triple concentrated
• 1 shallot(s)
• 3 tomatoes (Roma tomatoes)
• 1 small eggplant(s)
• 4 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped
• Oregano (dried)
• Rosemary (dried & ground)
• ½ bulb(s) garlic, Chinese
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 drops of Tabasco
• some sweet paprika powder
• Salt
• pepper
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• 2 balls of mozzarella
• 2 slices of Gouda cheese, young

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

Tomato and eggplant casserole with minced meat sauce

Wash the eggplant and cut into thin, even slices. Place on a board lined with kitchen paper, season with salt, and tilt at an angle to allow the bitter juices to drain. Then wash, deseed, and slice the tomatoes. Finely dice 1 tomato, peel and dice the shallot, then heat a little olive oil in a pan and sauté the minced meat, diced tomatoes, and diced onion. Crush the garlic and add it, but do not let it blacken! Continue frying until the minced meat is cooked, then add the passata and tomato paste, stirring to combine the ingredients. Add the bay leaf, basil, oregano, rosemary powder, Tabasco, paprika, a little salt, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and continue simmering over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, pat dry the eggplant slices. Alternate rows of eggplant and tomato slices in a baking dish until all the eggplant is used up. Once the meat sauce is ready, remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, thinly slice the mozzarella and dice the Gouda. Then pour the meat sauce over the vegetables (don’t forget to remove the bay leaf), distribute the mozzarella slices and Gouda cubes evenly, and bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes. TIP: Serve with pasta or white bread and a fresh salad.