Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Peel and slice the onion. Peel and grate or crush the garlic. Warm ½ tbsp olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaf. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and fry and stir for 5 mins till softened.

Add the garlic to the pan. Cook and stir for 1 min. Pour in the cherry tomato passata, stir, cover and gently simmer for 15 mins, stirring a few times, till the sauce has started to thicken. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Stir to mix.

While the sauce simmers, finely chop the chilli, flicking out the seeds and white pith if you prefer less heat. Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs. Add the chilli and thyme leaves to the sauce. Cook for 10 mins, stirring now and then, till the sauce is thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

While the sauce cooks, zest the lemon and set to one side. Slice the aubergines into thin rounds and pop them into a bowl. Juice half the lemon over the aubergines. Pour over 2 tbsp olive oil and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Gloss a large frying pan with ½ tbsp olive oil. Add the aubergine slices and fry on a high heat, for 2 mins on each side, till golden. You can do this in batches, adding ½ tbsp olive oil as needed.

In 2 small baking dishes (or 1 medium dish), layer the aubergines with the sauce, alternating till both are used up. Top with torn mozzarella, the breadcrumbs and plenty of black pepper.

Bake for 10-15 mins, till golden on top. While the aubergine bake cooks, drain and rinse the butter beans. Warm a small, dry frying pan and toast 2 tsp fennel seeds for 1-2 mins.

Juice the remaining lemon half into a jug and whisk with the lemon zest, salt, pepper and ½ tbsp olive oil. Toss through the butter beans and toasted fennel seeds. Pop the salad leaves into a bowl, top with the lemony beans and serve alongside the aubergine bake.