Serves 4
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 50 minutes
150 ml (¼ pint) passata (sieved tomatoes)
5 large basil leaves, torn, plus extra leaves, to garnish
1 garlic clove, crushed
2–3 small–medium aubergines, cut lengthways into 5 mm (¼ inch) thick slices
4 fresh pizza bases
125 g (4 oz) ricotta cheese, broken into small chunks
75 g (3 oz) mozzarella cheese (drained weight), roughly chopped
olive oil for glazing
salt
Combine the passata, torn basil leaves and garlic in a bowl. Season lightly with salt, cover and leave to infuse while you cook the aubergines.
Heat a ridged griddle pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the aubergine, in batches, and cook for 2 minutes on each side until charred on the outside and soft all the way through.
Put a baking sheet in a preheated oven, 240°C (475°F), Gas Mark 9, to heat through. Place 1 pizza base on the base only of a well-floured 23 cm (9 inch) loose-bottomed tart tin.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the passata mixture over the base, top with a quarter of the aubergines, then scatter with a quarter each of the cheeses. Brush the border with oil, to glaze. Remove the heated baking sheet from the oven, slide the tin on to it, then quickly return to the oven. Bake for 7–8 minutes until crisp and risen. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves. As the first pizza cooks, prepare the next for the oven.
For courgette & smoked mozzarella pizza, replace the aubergines with 4 courgettes, cut lengthways into 5 mm (¼ inch) thick slices, and griddle as above. Omit the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and replace with 150 g (5 oz) sliced smoked mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese.