On cold, dark evenings, there’s nothing like a cheesy oven dish to warm the cockles. This parmigiana dish has been given a gut health twist by adding a load of fibre-packed lentils, but it will also work with any kind of bean. It comes from gut guru Dr Tim Spector’s new recipe book, so it’s no surprise that it contains a whopping seven plants. 

The star of the show is aubergine, a vegetable rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Studies have found that it can reduce harmful (LDL) cholesterol levels, while its fibre content may also help to lower blood sugar. 

Other veg packed into this dish include tomatoes (full of vitamin C), green lentils (rich in fibre and plant protein) and basil. For dairy eaters, you’ll get a dose of calcium from the mozzarella, while parmesan is a kind of fermented cheese, so full of gut-loving probiotics.

This dish serves four, plus leftovers – so bake for dinner and take some in for lunch, alongside a different kind of side salad to quickly rack up the plant count. 

• 3 aubergines, sliced lengthways into 1cm-thick slices
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin black or green lentils, drained
• 30g basil, leaves torn, plus a few to garnish
• 125g ball of mozzarella, torn (or vegan alternative)
• 20g finely grated parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative)
• Salt and black pepper

Top-ups

• Kimchi
• Extra basil

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and lay out the aubergines in a single layer. 

2. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil all over.

3. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and soft.

4. Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the onion in the remaining oil for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1 minute more. 

5. Pour in the tomatoes and lentils, then half-fill the tomato tin with water and add this to the pan too. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

6. Add the basil and cook for 5 minutes more, then season with salt and pepper.

7. Spoon a third of the ragu mixture into the base of a 20–23cm square ovenproof dish (or similar) and top with a layer of aubergine. Repeat this twice more, then finish with the mozzarella and parmesan.

4. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Serve with some steamed greens.

Extracted from The Food for Life Cookbook by Tim Spector (Jonathan Cape, £28). All photography by Issy Croker.