Bacon & Creamy Tomato Aubergine Gnocchi Bake

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7

Trim the green stalk off your aubergine[s] and cut into quarters, lengthways, then chop into bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped aubergine to a baking tray (or two!) with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt

Give everything a good mix up and put the tray[s] in the oven for 20 min or until golden and tender

While the aubergine is roasting, chop your cherry tomatoes in half

Add your fennel seeds to a pestle & mortar and grind to a fine powder

Tip: Don't have a pestle and mortar? Chop them up as finely as you can

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a high heat

Once hot, add half your bacon lardons to the pan and cook for 3-4 min or until they begin to release some oil

Add the chopped tomatoes and crushed fennel seeds to the pan (not a fan of fennel? Just add a little!) and cook for 2-3 min or until the tomatoes are beginning to soften

Dissolve your soft cheese in 300ml [400ml] [500ml] boiled water and stir in your tomato paste and half your balsamic vinegar (you'll use the rest later!) – this is your tomato stock

Once the tomatoes are starting to soften, add the roasted aubergine and tomato stock to the pan with a pinch of sugar and bring to the boil over a high heat – this is your spicy aubergine sauce

Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and stir through your gnocchi

Transfer the contents of the pan to an oven-proof dish (or two!)

Sprinkle over the remaining bacon lardons, top with your grated Italian hard cheese and season with a generous grind of black pepper

Put the dish[es] in the oven for 10-15 min or until golden and bubbling – this is your bacon & aubergine gnocchi bake

While the gnocchi is baking, combine the remaining balsamic vinegar with a drizzle of olive oil – this is your balsamic dressing

Wash your salad, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Add the salad to the balsamic dressing and gently mix together