Grilled Eggplant Involtini with Goat Cheese and Green Beans

By CBarile

Rosita Missoni grew up eating eggplant involtini (stuffed rolls). In chef Giorgio Locatelli's updated version, he tops the rolls with a tangy goat cheese vinaigrette that would also be great on any salad of peppery greens, like arugula.

Ingredients

• Two 1-pound eggplants, cut lengthwise into thirds
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 36 thin green beans
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste or pesto
• 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 6 cups packed watercress, thick stems discarded
• 6 sun-dried tomato halves, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Light a grill. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat until lightly charred and just tender, about 10 minutes.

In a saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the beans until they are crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Drain and pat dry. In a bowl, toss the beans with the sun-dried tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the eggplant slices on a work surface. Bundle 6 green beans at one end of each slice and roll into cylinders. Transfer the involtini to plates, seam side down.

In a small bowl, whisk the goat cheese with the vinegar. Add 5 tablespoons of olive oil, whisking until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the watercress with the sun-dried tomatoes. Add 1/4 cup of the goat cheese dressing and toss to coat. Mound the salad beside the involtini. Spoon the remaining goat cheese dressing over the involtini and serve right away.