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1
Preheat the oven to 190C / fan oven 170C / 375u00b0F Lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 teaspoon of oil. Place the aubergine (eggplant) slices on the sheet in one layer. Brush the tops of the aubergine slices with 3 teaspoons of oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
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2
Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a saucepan then cook the onion, garlic and red pepper for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, beans, cinnamon, wine and seasoning. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes.
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3
In a medium-size saucepan, mix the cornflour with a little of the milk to make a paste. Beat in the remaining milk then cook over a moderate heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Mix in half the cheese, season to taste, then remove the pan from the heat. Allow the sauce to cool slightly then beat in the egg.
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4
Arrange half of the baked aubergine slices in the base of a shallow, ovenproof casserole dish. Spoon over half of the bean mixture then half of the white sauce. Repeat the layers, finishing with the white sauce. Scatter the remaining cheese over. (My husband made this once, and he didn't pay attention to this step. Instead, he did one thick layer of aubergine, then all the beans, then all the white sauce. It was quite dramatic looking, quite delicious, and that bit easier. You decide.).
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5
Bake for about 1 hour, until golden and bubbling.
