If you like melanzane alla parmigiana, these taste like the Italian classic but in dumpling form. The dumplings are gloriously rich and cheesy and yet somehow incredibly light.Make the sauce ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for a month. The dumpling mix can be made up to a few hours in advance and chilled, ready to roll into balls and sear. Serve with spaghetti, rice or some sautéed greens.

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90g fresh breadcrumbs, preferably sourdough (that’s 2–3 slices)

4 aubergines, roughly cut into 2½cm cubes (1kg)

150ml olive oil, plus extra for shaping

100g ricotta

75g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve

10g parsley, finely chopped

1 egg, plus

1 yolk

1½ tbsp plain flour

6 garlic cloves, crushed

15g basil leaves, roughly chopped

1½ x 400g tins of peeled plum tomatoes, blitzed until smooth (600g)

1½ tsp tomato paste

1½ tsp caster sugar

¼ tsp chilli flakes

¾ tsp paprika

2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped

45g pitted Kalamata olives, roughly torn in half

salt and black pepper

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1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Spread the breadcrumbs out on a baking tray and bake for 12 minutes, until lightly browned and dried out. Set aside to cool and turn the oven temperature up to 220°C fan.

2. On a large, parchment-lined tray, toss the aubergines with 75ml of oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Spread out as much as possible and bake for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden-brown.

3. Roughly chop the aubergines into a chunky mash, then transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until cool. Once cool, add the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, egg, yolk, flour, breadcrumbs, a third of the garlic, 10g of basil, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well, then with lightly oiled hands, shape the mixture into 16 golf-ball-sized dumplings, about 55g each, compressing them as you go so they hold together.

4. Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. In two batches, fry the dumplings for 3–4 minutes, turning them until golden-brown all over. Adjust the heat if they’re browning too much. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the remaining dumplings in the same way. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into a large sauté pan on a medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, chilli flakes, paprika, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper and cook for 8 minutes or 'until thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Pour in 400ml of water, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. Pour the sauce into a medium baking dish, top with the dumplings and bake for 20 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the oven, scatter over the olives, the remaining basil and a grating of Parmesan, and serve.