Pan-Fried Aubergine Lasagne with Tomato, Basil and Grana Padano

For the pasta. Beat the eggs with a fork and gradually incorporate the flour. When the ingredients start to bind together, knead by hand with energy. Remember, during this step it is important to stretch and pull your dough while kneading to allow the flour's gluten to start working and therefore obtain an elastic dough. After a few minutes, it will slowly come together and result in a smooth and homogeneous dough. As not all eggs are the same, if your dough feels too sticky, feel free to add a spoon of flour, if too dry and not binding, you can add a touch of leftover egg white or even a splash of water. When ready, wrap your dough in clingfilm and leave to rest for about 30 minutes, this will allow the dough to 'relax' and not be too elastic when shaping your pasta.

Proceed to roll the dough into thin pasta sheets. If you have a wooden board great, if you don't, a clean surface will work. First, slice the pasta into thick sheets and flatten them with a rolling pin. With the help of a pasta machine, roll the pasta out. This can also be done by hand using a rolling pin and lots of elbow grease! It is good practice to fold your rolled pasta on itself and start over a couple of times, this process will give you a smoother and rectangular sheet that will be easier to work with at a later stage. Pass the pasta gradually from the largest setting to the second to last. It is a good habit to allow your pasta sheets to dry for 5 minutes on your board before cutting it into any shape and remember to dust with extra flour only if it feels too wet and humid on your hands. I also always re-roll the pasta sheet on the same setting once after the 5 minutes rest to make sure it has not shrunk too much. I like my lasagne sheets about 1.5mm thick. Remember, cut your pasta sheets according to the size and shape of your baking tray to avoid excessive waste and if you are making your lasagne straight away keep your sheets between parchment and you can use them raw. If you are using dry pasta sheets make sure to cook them beforehand in salted boiling water, drain them and pat dry before building the lasagne.

For the easy tomato sauce. In a saucepan gently fry the garlic in olive oil with the chilli and a sprig of basil. When golden, add the tomatoes and rinse the tin. Season with salt and pepper and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Break the tomatoes while stirring with a wooden spoon. When cooked, the sauce will be chunky and rich. Remove the garlic if you're planning on kissing someone.

To prepare the bechamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add in the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes while stirring, on a medium heat until the roux (mix of butter and flour) is golden. Then slowly pour in the milk and bring to the boil, while whisking vigorously, to avoid any lumps. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. The bechamel should now be ready and creamy. Stir in the grated Grana Padano cheese, until smooth. Season carefully with salt (as the cheese will have already made the bechamel tasty) and a little black pepper and grated nutmeg. Set aside.

To prepare the aubergines. Peel and slice the aubergine thinly. Salt the slices and let them sit for 30 minutes to get rid of the water excess. Pat dry with paper. Cook the aubergine slices until charred on a griddle pan with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of oregano. Alternatively, bake them at 180°C with a little drizzle of oil for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

To build the lasagne. Either grease your chosen tray well with butter or line it with baking parchment (I spread a little butter to make sure the parchment sticks well). Build the lasagna in layers with a layer of fresh pasta on which to put tomato, aubergine, mozzarella and a sprinkling of Grana Padano. Pasta goes in first then spread with a couple of spoons of tomato sauce. Now cover with a layer of aubergine slices, mozzarella and a handful of grated Grana Padano. Finish with a few leaves of basil and covering with a good spread of bechamel and then repeat until you have either reached the top of the try or finished your ingredients!. When using fresh raw pasta remember, every other component needs to be seasoned properly as the pasta will absorb not only the liquids but also the flavour. In my opinion, the result of this method is a better textured lasagne (and less steps in the recipe). When you have reached the top of the lasagne, cover with a pasta layer and top with a last layer of tomato sauce and a good sprinkle of grated Grana Padano cheese. Cover with parchment and make sure it sticks (to prevent the top from burning in the oven) and bake at 160°C for about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your tray. When ready it should have risen and firmed up. Check it by piercing it with a wooden skewer in the middle, if the skewer is very hot when removed, it means it is cooked! This lasagne can be served as it is, simply let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing it. If you want to go the extra mile and create the ultimate pan-fried lasagne, let it cool completely overnight, then remove it from the tray and slice it into thick slices (like a steak). In a non-stick pan, fry the slices on both sides with a good amount of olive oil and butter. It should take no longer than 2 minutes on each side for the lasagne to be golden and crispy outside and hot in the middle, longer than that it will be messy. Make sure the lasagne is well chilled before going into the pan and that you keep a constant medium heat, not too aggressive, to pan fry it.

To serve the pan-fried lasagne, spread a little extra Grana Padano bechamel on the bottom of the plates and place the lasagne on top of it. Sprinkle with extra grated Grana Padano and top with a basil leaf. Serve immedialy and enjoy your labour of love!

Chef's Tip: when the pasta is fresh and just made, I like to use raw pasta sheets directly as they are as they will absorb more of the juices and flavours. just make sure to keep the Grana Padano bechamel a little bit on the loose side by adding extra milk. If using store bought dry pasta sheets, boil them in salted water as usual before building the lasagne Any pasta trimming can be re-used in soups or other dishes.