Roasted Aubergine & Sweet Potato Parmigiana

Preheat the oven to 240ºC/ 220ºC (fan)/ gas 9 and boil a kettle

Peel and slice your sweet potato[es], lengthways, as thinly as you can, then trim the green stalk[s] off your aubergine[s] and slice, lengthways, as thinly as you can

Add the sliced sweet potato & aubergine to a baking paper-lined baking tray (or two!) with a little drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and put the tray[s] in the oven for 15-20 min or until softened and golden

While the aubergine and sweet potato are in the oven, peel and finely chop your garlic

Roughly chop your tomato[es]

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and roughly chop

Heat a pot with a little drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the chopped tomato, pepper and garlic with half your dried oregano (you'll use the rest later!), a pinch of sugar and cook for 4-5 min or until beginning to soften

Meanwhile, grate your cheddar cheese finely

Wash your spinach and pat it dry with kitchen paper

Once slightly softened, add your tomato paste with 100ml [140ml] [180ml] boiled water and your vegetable stock mix and cook for 3-4 min or until slightly thickened

Once thickened, blitz with a (stick) blender until smooth – this is your tomato & pepper sauce

Combine most of the grated cheese (save some for later!) with your cornflour in a separate large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) and mix until the cheese is coated in the flour

Add 230ml [345ml] [460ml] milk to the pan with 30ml [45ml] [60ml] cold water and a pinch of pepper

Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 min, stirring frequently, or until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened – this is your cheese sauce

Once the sauce has thickened, layer some of the cooked aubergine slices to an oven-proof dish in a single layer

Spoon over some of the tomato & pepper sauce, then add a layer of spinach

Layer on the sweet potato slices, then repeat the process with the remaining aubergine – this is your parmigiana

Finally, top with half your basil leaves (save the rest for garnish!) and the cheese sauce, making sure all of the parmigiana is covered

Sprinkle over your panko breadcrumbs, remaining dried oregano and remaining grated cheese

Add a little drizzle of olive oil and put the dish in the oven for 15-20 min or until golden and bubbling – this is your roasted aubergine & sweet potato parmigiana