Eggplant Rollatini is an extra special meal that is surprisingly easy to prepare! Stuffed with three creamy cheeses and topped with a hearty ground veal tomato sauce, this is a cozy dinner the whole family will love!
Try these other delicious Italian-inspired recipes: Weeknight Bolognese Sauce, Spicy Sausage Pasta with Rapini and Grandma's Baked Eggplant Parmesan.
Eggplant Rollatini
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I've seen a lot of eggplant recipes out there that are variations of eggplant parm. In fact, I even have my own. And it is delicious. But it's nice to mix things up every now and again. So I figured a baked eggplant rollatini recipe might be a delicious way to shake things up. And the best way to make three creamy and delicious cheeses rolls in tender eggplant even more delicious is by covering it in a savory ground veal meat sauce.
I love that ground veal gives the deliciously meaty flavor and make a hearty sauce while still providing a nutrient-rich protein. It's got tons of vitamins and minerals and allows you to cut calories the delicious way and also takes on flavors easily, so you're able to build flavors in the sauce quickly while you assemble the eggplant rolls.
Tips for this eggplant rollatini recipe
- You'll want to divide the cheese evenly between the eggplant slices. It ends up being around 2 tablespoons of cheese per eggplant slice but this will vary based on their size. Put a little more cheese in larger slices and a little less in smaller slices.
- Place the cheese on the wider side of each eggplant slice and carefully roll it in toward.
- Eggplant still releases liquid as it cooks, so I bake this uncovered to allow some of that excess liquid to evaporate.
Helpful ingredient information:
- Eggplant: I use standard globe eggplant, also known as American eggplant prepped it by sprinkling with kosher salt and letting it sit for 10 minutes before patting it dry with paper towel. The salt draws out the excess moisture and bitterness. Then pre-bake the eggplant slices at a lower temperature to soften them a bit and make them easier to roll.
- Cheese filling: I made the 3 cheese filling for these using a mixture of Ricotta, mozzarella and Romano cheese. These combined with ground black pepper, dried parsley, garlic powder and 1 large egg create a rich and creamy filling. You'll note I don't add salt to this mixture, this is because the Romano cheese adds plenty of salt on it's own. But if you're worried, taste the mixture before adding the egg and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Meaty tomato sauce: Veal adds delicious flavor and nutrition (you could also use lean ground beef if ground veal is not available). Doctor up your favorite marinara sauce with some onion, garlic and seasonings. Click here for my marinara sauce-recipe, it's easy, delicious and freezes well!
Should I peel my eggplant?
I don't peel my eggplant for this recipe.
How do you cut eggplant for rollatini?
Slice the eggplant length-wise. To make it easier, cut off the top and bottom first and then stand it up on the wider flat side. Carefully cut ¼ inch thick slices.
Is eggplant rollatini fried?
Traditionally, yes the eggplant is breaded and fried. But in the interest of keeping things simple and a little more nutrition, I decided not to fry it.
Can this be made ahead?
Although I think this is best served right away, you can definitely make it ahead and reheat in the oven when you're ready to eat.
Can you freeze eggplant rollatini?
I wouldn't recommend it because eggplant contains so much moisture. But you can easily prepare the sauce and freeze that in advance.
Leftovers and reheating:
This lasts 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator. I usually reheat it in the oven until hot and bubbly or in the microwave.
Ingredients that can be prepped ahead:
- Clean eggplant
- Mince onion
- Peel garlic
- Make marinara sauce
- Grate cheese
- Mix cheese mixture
- Cook sauce
Helpful tools:
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Large saute pan
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Sheet pan
- Silpat
- 9" x 13" pan
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Eggplant Rollatini
Ingredients
Eggplant
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 2 large Italian eggplants Tops and bottoms cut off and sliced length-wise into ¼ inch thick slices (each eggplant should make around 6-7 slices)
- kosher salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
Veal sauce
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground veal
- kosher salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 ½ cups marinara sauce, (I use this easy recipe to make it myself)
Cheese filling
- 16 ounces Ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded Romano cheese (or parmesan) divided
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Preparing the eggplant
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 sheet pans with foil. Spray with cooking spray and lay eggplant slices in a single layer on the pans.
- Sprinkle kosher salt onto the eggplant to taste and rest for 10 minutes.
- Pat the eggplant slices with a dry paper towel to absorb any moisture. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste, spray with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes.
Making the veal sauce
- While the eggplant slices bake, heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray.
- Add onions and garlic to the pan and saute stirring often for around 3 minutes to soften.
- Add ground veal to the pan and break up with a wooden spoon.
- Saute until brown, around 6-7 minutes stirring often. Drain any excess grease.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and add marinara sauce.
- Once the sauce begins bubbling reduce heat to low and hold at the lower temperature until you're ready to use the sauce.
Making the cheese filling
- In a large mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, ½ cup shredded Romano cheese, ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, black pepper, dried parsley, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and the egg and stir well until fully combined.
- Assembling the rollatini
- Once the eggplant is out of the oven, raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and allow the eggplant to cool for 5 minutes.
- While the eggplant cools, spread 1-2 ladles of sauce in a thin even layer in the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan.
- Divide cheese between each eggplant slice, placing around 2 Tablespoons on the wider side of the slice.
- Roll the eggplant slices starting on the cheese side and carefully place them into the prepared 9" x 13" pan, lining them in on each side of the pan seam side down.
- When the pan is full, ladle remaining sauce evenly over the rollatini.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Top with remaining Romano and mozzarella cheeses and return to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.
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