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Eggplant Rollatini
Cooked eggplant stuffed with ricotta, Grana Padano, and lots of fresh basil and baked to perfection with rich tomato sauce. It truly is the perfect meatless meal for the whole family to devour.
YIELDS
4
TO
6
Ingredients
Eggplant Rollatini
- 3 small eggplants (each about 4 inches wide, about 1 pound total weight)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- Kosher salt
- 12 ounces good-quality fresh ricotta
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Grana Padano
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 large egg, beaten
Tomato Sauce
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 pints ripe grape or cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Eggplant Rollatini
- Trim the stems and ends from the eggplants. Remove strips of peel about one inch wide from the eggplants, leaving about half the peel intact. Slice the rounded sides from two opposite sides so the sliced eggplant will lie flat. Slice the now flattened eggplant a scant half an inch thick lengthwise (to get about sixteen slices). Chop the ends you cut off and set them aside.
- Heat about half an inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the edge of an eggplant slice sizzles on contact. Spread some flour on a plate. Season the eggplant slices with salt and dredge them in the flour. Fry, in batches without crowding, until they’re tender and golden, about three minutes per side. Drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
- Combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, half a cup of grated Grana Padano, the parsley, and the egg in a large bowl. Season with one teaspoon salt, and stir to combine. Lay the eggplant slices on your work surface with the top end toward you. Divide the filling among the pieces and roll them up.
Tomato Sauce
- Carefully pour the oil out of the skillet and wipe it clean. Add the olive oil and heat it over medium heat. Add the reserved chopped eggplant, and cook until it’s lightly browned, two to three minutes. Scatter in the garlic, and cook until it’s sizzling about one minute.
- Add the tomatoes and season with one teaspoon of salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the tomatoes wilt on the edges for two to three minutes. Add half a cup of water, cover, and simmer until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is saucy, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the basil.
Assemble, Cook and Serve
- Nestle the rolls, seam side down, in the sauce, spooning a little of the sauce over each as you go. Sprinkle with the remaining one cup of grated Grana Padano. Bake until the rollatini is browned and the sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
