Eggplant Rollatini

By Golfwidow7

Serve this dish for a hearty meatless dinner! The cheese filling would be great for stuffed shells, too.

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggplants, peeled, ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 pound whole milk ricotta
• 2 cups fresh mozzarella, 8 ounces, grated
• 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped, plus more for serving
• POMODORO SAUCE
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced, about 1 cup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 small bundle fresh oregano, secured with butcher's twine
• 2 (15 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place a cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place the eggplant slices in an even layer and season with salt on all sides. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side, until softened.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and basil. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

On each slice of eggplant, place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Starting from the short end, roll up and place seam-side-down in a 9"x13" baking dish.

Repeat with the remaining eggplant and cheese then spoon lots of tomato sauce over them. Sprinkle with some additional parmesan and bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

For the Pomodoro Sauce
Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add ¼ cup olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and a large pinch of salt. Sauté until the vegetables soften, 8-10 minutes. Add the chili flakes, tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Add oregano bundle, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low heat and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove herb bundle and remove from heat. Puree on low to preserve the red color. Add basil and stir to combine. Set aside and keep warm.