Eggplant Rollatini

Eggplant Rollatini is a cozy Italian dish that's surprisingly simple to make! Tender eggplant rolls are filled with creamy cheese and baked in a rich, meaty tomato sauce for a hearty, family-friendly meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Low Salt

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Eggplant resting time 10

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 337kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

Eggplant

Cooking spray
2 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

½ cup onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 2-3 cloves
1 pound ground beef 90/10 or 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 grated 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 F 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. Once baked, set aside to cool and turn the oven up to 400 degrees F.

Making the veal sauce

While the eggplant slices bake, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray.
Add onions and garlic to the pan and sauté stirring often for around 3 minutes to soften.
Add ground beef to the pan and break up with a wooden spoon.
Sauté 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.
While the eggplant cools, spread 1-2 ladles of sauce in a thin even layer in the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan.

Assembling the Rollatini

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 rolls.
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.

Video

Notes

Salt and pat dry. Don’t skip this step! It removes bitterness and keeps the eggplant from becoming soggy. I add a little pepper after patting.

Evenly divide the cheese. Aim for about 2 tablespoons per slice, adjusting based on size. Larger slices get a bit more, smaller ones a little less.

Roll carefully from the wide side. Place the filling on the wider end of each slice and roll gently. This keeps the filling secure and prevents spills.

Place the rolls seam-side down to help keep the rolls closed.

Bake uncovered. Eggplant releases liquid as it cooks, so leaving it uncovered helps excess moisture evaporate and prevents a watery dish.

Ingredients to prep ahead- Chop onions, peel garlic, make marinara sauce, grate cheese, and mix the cheese filling in advance.

Leftovers and storage- Keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until hot and bubbly. Freezing eggplant isn’t ideal (it gets soggy), but you can freeze the sauce.

Nutrition