Italian Sunday Dinner: Eggplant Rollatini

Happy weekend my friends! There’s a chill in the air, and our leaves are falling in Atlanta. It’s sweater weather! This is a perfect time to make my Eggplant Rollatini for my Italian Sunday dinner! Are you a fan of eggplant? Most people are familiar with eggplant parmesan. Eggplant parmesan is similar, but it isn’t rolled up and does not have a filling.

I love seeing all the leaves changing color. Sadly our days are getting shorter, but I look forward to the holiday season. I am going to start decorating my home next week for Christmas. Because I have so many holiday photo shoots scheduled in November that  I have to start my decorating early. So, since we’re entering the holiday season, I will begin sharing my favorite holiday recipes with you.

Eggplant Rollatini

My Eggplant Rollatini recipe is a fried version. I used my basic marinara sauce and served this with homemade meatballs. The filling is also the one I use for my homemade manicotti

at Easter.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggplant or 4 small eggplant
• 1 tablespoon salt

Homemade Marinara Sauce:

• 4-28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, certified D.O.P. if possible, crushed.
• 1-28 ounce can of Puree
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 7 garlic cloves, chopped (I use the whole head)
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 15 large fresh basil leaves, chopped

Filling:

• 1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Coating:

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• Dash each salt and pepper
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise into  1/8-in.-thick slices. Place in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with salt and toss. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the marinara sauce.
3. In a large saucepan, saute garlic in oil. Cook less than 1 minute, or you burn the garlic!
4. Stir in all the tomatoes and puree. Then Sprinkle in red pepper flakes and salt. Finally, add chopped basil.
5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered until flavors are blended, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes.
6. Rinse and drain eggplant.
7. In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients; set aside.
8. Place eggs in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper—dip eggplant in eggs, then bread crumb mixture.
9. In an electric skillet or deep skillet, heat 1/2 in. of oil to 375°. Fry eggplant in batches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
10. Preheat oven to 375°. Spoon 1 cup sauce into an ungreased 13×9-in—baking dish. Spread 2 rounded tablespoons of filling over each eggplant slice. Carefully roll up and place seam side down in baking dish—spoon remaining sauce over roll-ups. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake until bubbly, 30-35 minutes.
11. Serve alone or with your favorite meat on the side. For example, I love serving my eggplant rollatini with meatballs. So I freeze meatballs and serve them with everything!

 

You can also make Eggplant Rollatini without frying the eggplant too. My mother-in-law made it without frying the eggplant. It’s easier and a bit healthier!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Mangia!