Eggplant Rollatini
I guess the Italian in me is coming out in these first blog posts. Maybe because it is the type of food I am most comfortable cooking or because it is the type of food I like the most….the world may never know!
The funny thing is I am not a big fan of eggplant, but if you smother it with sauce and cheese I can’t turn it away. And with the end of summer, beautiful eggplant is plentiful and cheap!
I came up with this recipe as an alternative to traditional eggplant rollatini that you would find at a restaurant. It is not breaded or fried, so you won’t feel bad indulging in this delicious dish. This recipe also happens to be gluten free and keto friendly.
I will admit, this is not a quick and easy recipe, but I promise it is worth the little extra work. Did I mention that the leftovers keep and heat up well??!! Bonus for anything that makes great leftovers!
Let’s check out the ingredient list: 2 medium eggplants, 1 c. reduced fat ricotta cheese, 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella (plus more to sprinkle on top), 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, 1/2 t. garlic powder, 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce, salt, nonstick cooking spray.
Gather all your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of your eggplant so you can stand the eggplant straight up without it being wobbly. Then cut thin strips lengthwise. You wan the strips about 1/8″ thick. This can be a bit tricky…..If they are too thin they will fall apart when you roll them and if they are too thick you won’t be able to roll them. I used a serrated knife to cut my strips. This is my go to knife https://amzn.to/2ztOJAQ (It is almost always dirty and sitting in the kitchen sink because my whole family uses only this knife!)You could also use a mandoline food slicer, but it is a little difficult to use because eggplant is so wide. Now you have a few options on how you want to proceed with the eggplant. I was in a bit of a rush tonight so I moved right on to the filling. The second option would be to lay the eggplant on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the eggplant has softened a little. This will make it easier to roll and will need less time to bake at the end. The third would be to line a baking sheet with a paper towel, lay down a single layer of eggplant, lay down another layer of paper towel, followed by another single layer of eggplant. Continue alternating layers of eggplant and paper towel until you are left with a layer of paper towel on top. Place a cookie sheet on top and top with heavy objects (books, magazines, cans from your pantry). Let the eggplant sit in this press for a few hours or overnight. (This is a must for eggplant parm, but more about that another day!) Then you can continue with filling right away or baking unfilled first.
Spray a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish.
Now we are ready to make the filling. Combine the ricotta, 1/2 c. mozzarella, parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Mix until well combined. Lay out one piece of eggplant. Place 1-2 T. of filling in the middle of the eggplant and roll. Place seam side down on the bottom of your baking dish. Repeat for the remaining pieces of eggplant.
Place another thin layer of sauce over the top of the eggplant rolls and sprinkle with some extra mozzarella cheese. Cover your baking dish. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. (If you pre-baked your eggplant you can cut this down to 30 minutes.)
Mmmm…delicious and healthy Eggplant Rolatini….and you won’t even miss the carbs!
Now let’s talk about storing. These can be cooked and reheated within the next couple of days. They can also be cooked, frozen and then reheated at another time. Because my kiddos aren’t fans of eggplant, I usually have quite a bit left. I put them in an airtight container and throw them in the freezer to save for a night when I am making pasta for the kids. It makes for a quick and easy meal with something that we all enjoy!
XO,
Danelle
Eggplant Rollatini
Notes
Yield: 12 rolls with 3 rolls per serving
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplant
- 1 c. reduced fat ricotta cheese
- 1/2 c. shredded low fat mozzarella (plus 1/4 c more for top)
- 1/4 c. parmesan cheese
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- Cut eggplant into 1/8 thick slices. (See directions above for detailed instructions)
- Mix ricotta, 1/2 c. mozzarella, parmesan and garlic powder together for filling.
- Lay a piece of eggplant out lengthwise. Place 1-2 T. filling in the middle and roll.
- Place seam side down in baking dish.
- Repeat for remaining pieces of eggplant.
- Top with another layer of marinara sauce and sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in over at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes,
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