You can literally taste the love that's gone into making this! This is a recipe for when you have some time to enjoy the process, it's worth it...

What you'll need

Main ingredients

• 500g chestnut mushrooms

Fresh/ frozen

• ½ large onion
• 1 rib of celery
• 1 carrot
• 2 large cloves garlic
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Mozzarella, 1-2 balls
• Ricotta, 1 tub
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Handful of basil leaves
• 1 large aubergine, sliced lengthways
• 1 large courgette, sliced lengthways

Store cupboard

• Tin of tomatoes
• Olive oil, 1-2 tbsp
• Dried oregano, 1 tbsp
• White wine (or stock), 125ml
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

What to do

1. Prepare the tomato ragu. Finely slice and dice ½ large onion, 1 rib of celery and a carrot. Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and add the diced veggies (aka the sofrito). Stir occasionally and cook through for about 10-15 minutes until they start to soften and brown at the edges. Add the minced garlic, 1 tbsp dried oregano, some salt and pepper and cook for a further minute or
   
   
   
2. Add the splash of white wine (or stock), allow the alcohol to burn off and reduce slightly. Then add the tin of tomatoes, bring to the boil then reduce to a low-heat and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes.2. While that’s simmering, slice the courgette/ aubergine lengthways - you’ll need about 8 slices in total. Place them on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, bake for 20 minutes (170c fan) flipping halfway through.
   
   
   
3. In a separate bowl, add the ricotta, a beaten egg and mix well. Stir in some grated parmesan - you could also add some cheddar and/ or mozzarella too if you fancied.
4. To prepare the mushroom ragu: quarter the mushrooms (including the stalks) and pulse a few times in a food processor (or finely chop them by hand, they should resemble very coarse breadcrumbs - don’t worry if there’s some chunky bits). Saute them in a pan with a tbsp or 2 of olive oil for 5 or 10 minutes (over a medium>high heat) and reduce any excess water. Add the homemade tomato ragu, and bring to a simmer. Add some fresh basil and check the seasoning.
5. Time to layer up! In your baking dish (I used a dish that measures about 10 x 7 inches/ 25cm x 17cm):
1. Spread a thin layer of ragu first as a base
2. Layer the aubergine/ courgette
3. Spoon half of the mushroom ragu over
4. Layer ricotta mix
5. Repeat layers - aubergine/ courgette, ragu, ricotta
6. Top with grated cheese, I used parmesan, mozzarella slices & fresh basil
   
   
   
6. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, remove foil and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the top is nicely golden brown. Serve with your choice of side; a fresh crispy salad or steamed greens would be nice. Enjoy!