cheesy eggplant rollatini

Happy Monday, friends! I have such a delicious, incredibly cheesy recipe to share with you today. Say hello to Eggplant Rollatini! They're definitely not a family recipe, and American-Italian at best, but oh they are sooo good. My family of born-and-bred Italians totally loved these! Eggplant slices are stuffed with ricotta, covered in cheese and homemade tomato sauce, and baked until golden and bubbly. Seriously irresistible!

We had three eggplants in the fridge for ages and by this point they were definitely on their last leg. My mom suggested making pasta al forno with cubed eggplant in it {sort of like lazy eggplant parmigiana} and while that was a fine plan, I had been wanting rollatini for ages so that's what I went with! I will disclose that this recipe is definitely a bit time-consuming, but most of the time is hands-off! It does take a bit though because you first have to bake the eggplant slices to soften them, and then you have to re-bake them as a casserole with the cheese and sauce. Don't worry though, these are definitely worth the wait.

There are a million different ways to make eggplant rollatini {just ask Pinterest!} but I decided to keep things simple and low maintenance by baking the eggplant slices rather than grilling or frying. Personally, I think fried eggplant along with the creamy cheese filling would make this dish way too heavy! Baking was perfect, as it made the slices tender and flavorful, and I was able to cook all the slices in one round. Easy peasy! This recipe for eggplant rollatini will become a new staple in your household... it's definitely gone to the top of our favorites' list at mine!

cheesy eggplant rollatini

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Recipe type: Vegetarian

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• *for the eggplants*
• 3 eggplants
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• *for the sauce*
• one 29oz can tomato sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• *for the filling*
• 30 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon dry or fresh parsley
• 1 cup fresh sliced mozzarella

Instructions

1. First, preheat the oven to 350F, and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment.
2. Wash and dry your eggplant, cut off the tops and bottoms, and slice them lengthwise {not too thin or they will fall apart after baking}.
3. Drizzle the prepared baking pans lightly with olive oil, lay the slices on top without overlapping them, drizzle a little more oil on top and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. If there are any slices that are awkward, too thin, etc, don't bake them and save them for the sauce.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are lightly golden and softened. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
5. While the eggplant is baking, start the tomato sauce. In a medium nonstick pot, heat the garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. If you have any of the leftover eggplant set aside, dice thinly and saute with the garlic and olive oil.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and some garlic powder until the eggplant has softened and caramelized slightly.
7. Add in the tomato sauce, along with a tiny pinch of sugar. Lower heat to a simmer, and allow to cook until needed.
8. When eggplant slices are ready to be used, make the cheese mixture. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, and eggs, along with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley.
9. Turn the oven up to 400F, lightly oil two casserole dishes, and spoon a bit of the tomato sauce on the bottom of each.
10. Assemble the eggplant rolls and fill them with the cheese mixture, arranging them in the casserole.
11. Once they are all done, cover with the remaining tomato sauce, and place the fresh mozzarella slices on top.
12. Bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden and everything is bubbly.
13. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

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