Eggplant Tomato Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.
2. Spray the baking tray with the cooking spray. Neatly arrange eggplants, onions, and zucchini on the baking tray. Lightly spray the top of the vegetables with the cooking spray as well.
3. Now cover it with the aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes. Uncover the aluminum foil. And bake it for 10 minutes more.
4. Medium heat extra virgin oil in a small saucepan. Add mushrooms, garlic and pepper. Add a little water. Cook until mushrooms begin to soften. This will take 6 minutes.
5. Add in the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce and basil leaves. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Spread ½ tomato-mushroom mixture on bottom of a baking dish. Coat it with the cooking spray. Then layer it with half of the eggplant, zucchini and onion.
7. Layer it with ricotta and then add a layer of the mozzarella cheese.
8. Repeat the process by layering with another ½ of the tomato-mushroom mixture and the remaining eggplant, zucchini and onion.
9. Top it up with the mozzarella cheese with the breadcrumbs.
10. Bake it for 30 to 45 minutes until the cheese is melted and the liquid has completely disappeared.
11. Once baked, cool it for 10 minutes. Cut it into equal pieces and serve!

Trivia

• Eggplants are normally mistaken for vegetables. In fact, they are berries.
• Eggplants and tomatoes are related. They both belong to the Nightshade (Solanaceae) family.
• People in the United Kingdom refer eggplants as “aubergines”.

In Renaissance Italy, it was referred as mala insane or “crazy apple”.