I don’t know how authentic this is but Marco, a great student from Italy, managed three portions at one sitting and it has been popular with Italian guests ever since. The arrabbiata sauce is equally good served with penne.

Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 aubergines, cut into rounds about 1.5 cm thick and then quartered
6 plum tomatoes or a 400g tin of peeled plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp Aleppo chillies (or pinch of chilli flakes)
2 tbsp red wine
Small bunch of coriander, harder stems removed, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the béchamel sauce

50g butter
50g plain flour
750ml milk, heated to just below boiling point
50g Parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Approx 9 lasagne sheets

Cut the aubergine into slices and then quarter these. Place in a colander and salt generously. Leave for at least an hour. Rinse well and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Put the tomatoes in a pan of cold water so they are covered and heat until the water boils. Then plunge the tomatoes into cold water before removing their skins. Chop.

Gently fry the onion in a little oil until it is soft and begins to have colour. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the frying pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add more oil and, in batches, fry the aubergine until soft and coloured. Alternatively, the aubergine could be tossed in a little oil and roasted for about 25 minutes in an oven heated to 180°C

Place all the ingredients in a casserole and heat slowly. Cover and continue cooking slowly for at least 30 minutes until all the ingredients are soft and the sauce is thick.

To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and, using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously for two minutes. Add the milk, a little at a time, and stir well between each addition. Season, and add the nutmeg and most of the Parmesan (or pecorino) cheese. Continue cooking for two minutes.

Spread a little of the arrabbiata sauce at the bottom of a baking dish, spread two or three tablespoons of the béchamel sauce over and then arrange a layer of pasta sheets on top. Repeat the layers of arrabbiata sauce, a little béchamel sauce and lasagne sheets twice more, ending with a thicker layer of béchamel sauce on top of the pasta. Sprinkle over the last of the grated cheese.

Bake in an oven at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until browned.

Serve hot.

A good addition is to include a mozzarella, torn into small pieces, with every layer of the béchamel. sauce.