Eggplant Rollatini
I find it interesting sometimes how things happen. One day, you’re doing something and then an event occurs or a person crosses your path and “bam”, the route you had earlier has been changed. My motto is “everything happens for a good reason” although many times, we don’t realize it right away.
One day, I was at my supermarket in the produce department looking for a nice eggplant – that night, I was planning on making my Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole… love that dish! A woman stood next to me and we started talking. Next thing you know, I was making this featured recipe… Eggplant Rollatini! This Italian dish is incredible! Made with thin slices of eggplant and rolled with a beautiful mixture of Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, this is a delicious casserole to serve your family and friends. It’s fairly easy to make and a nice change for your menu.
When this lady at the supermarket shared her recipe, she was breading the slices. Although I was tempted to do it, I went for an easier version – never made it before and here I was tweaking it, lol! Another twist I put on her recipe was to add Mozzarella and Parmesan to the filling – hers was strictly ricotta with some herbs. When it comes to seasoning, I obviously added my homemade Italian Seasoning along with lemon zest to brighten it up and some freshly ground black pepper. The end result was fabulous!
Also known as Involtini di Melanzane, this Eggplant Rollatini is a lovely dish to make. In the video, I strictly stuffed the slices with a cheese mixture but I also made it by adding a slice of ham which was extremely flavorful. One thing I never change though is to top my slices with my Marinara Sauce and after it has cooked for 20 minutes, I sprinkle on more Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese before returning the casserole back to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. When it comes to the Parmesan cheese, you can easily substitute it for Pecorino, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, or Grana Padano – they’re all a nice choice.
For you eggplant & cheese lovers out there, this is an amazing recipe to add to your folder. This Eggplant Rollatini is easy to make and another way to enjoy this “fruit” – just like tomato, eggplant is botanically a fruit. It’s a nice meal to make and when it’s time to serve, don’t forget to add some fresh chopped basil… yum!
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other tasty Italian inspired recipes…
– Veal Marsala
– Italian Wedding Soup
– Lamb Ragù
– Tiramisu
– Smoked Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo
– Veggie Orzo Risotto
– Gnudi aka Malfatti
and for even more International recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • International
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Eggplant Rollantini • Involtini di Melanzane
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Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, washed and thinly sliced
- olive oil, as needed tips & tricks
- ground Himalayan sea salt, divided and to taste
- 2 cups (475 ml) fresh ricotta Footnote
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided tips & tricks
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning see Recipe
- 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 24 ounces (650 ml) marinara sauce, divided see Recipe
- 1/2 tbsp. chopped basil leaves, for garnish tips & tricks
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the eggplant slices in a single layer and brush on a small amount of olive oil; season with ground sea salt.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and place them on a baking sheet to cool off.
- In a medium bowl, add Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, parsley, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well until blended; taste and adjust if necessary.
- In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add 2 cups marina sauce and spread it out evenly using a spatula; set aside.
- Spoon on 2 to 2 ½ tbsp. cheese mixture on eggplant slices and evenly spread it out leaving a small gap around the edges and more so at the ends. Take one end and roll the eggplant to the other.
- Place the rolls, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish and spoon a small amount of the remaining sauce on each roll.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle on the remaining cup of Mozzarella cheese and the rest of Parmesan cheese.
- Return the baking dish to the oven; bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- When it’s time to serve, sprinkle on some fresh chopped basil.
Notes
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