Eggplant Rollatini
Crispy fried eggplant slices wrapped around a creamy ricotta mixture, and topped with marinara and more cheese.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr
salting time1 hour hr
Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
- 1 large eggplant sliced 1/8" thick, (or 20 pieces)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt for salting eggplant
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour for dredging
- 5 large eggs beaten
- olive oil for frying
- 4 cups marinara sauce see notes below
- 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano
For the filling (mix together)
- 1 1/4 pounds ricotta drained
- 1/2 pound shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the seasoned breadcrumbs (mix together)
- 3 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Peel and slice eggplant into ⅛” thick pieces. A mandoline really helps! Salt eggplant pieces in a colander with kosher salt in layers. Do this for 1 hour, then rinse eggplant to remove excess salt. Thoroughly pat dry the eggplant pieces.
Next, dip eggplant pieces into flour and shake off excess. Then dip into egg and shake off, and finally the seasoned breadcrumbs. Place breaded eggplant pieces on a parchment paper lined tray and prepare oil for frying.
Add a 1/2" olive or vegetable oil to a large heavy pan and heat to 350f. Fry eggplant pieces until golden on both sides (about 2 minutes per side) and place on a wire rack or paper towel lined tray. At this point, preheat the oven to 375f and set a rack to the middle level.
Place a 1/4" of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 10 by 15" baking dish.
Place 2-3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into the middle of each eggplant piece and roll. Place all the filled eggplant rollatini seam side down into the baking dish.
Spoon a bit more sauce on top of each piece of rollatini (don't completely cover) and grate 2 tablespoons of Pecorino Romano on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot. Serve eggplant rollatini with remaining sauce. Enjoy!
- Makes 4 large or 6 moderate-sized servings.
- Use this marinara sauce. Or make your own or use a store-bought version.
- Use 2 baking dishes if required to fit all of the rollatini.
- The exact oil amount will vary. You will need enough to fill your pan a 1/2" high.
- A mandoline speeds up and makes the slicing process far easier for this recipe, but a sharp knife can 100% be used with success.
- Salting the eggplant can be skipped, but removing the water from the eggplant helps with achieving a better fry, taste, and texture.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven at 325f until warm or in the microwave.
- Extra marinara sauce is helpful to serve on the side or on the bottom of individual plates since the eggplant rollatini can get dry from the baking process.
Calories: 985kcal | Carbohydrates: 91.4g | Protein: 39.6g | Fat: 52.3g | Saturated Fat: 15.7g | Cholesterol: 259mg | Sodium: 1460mg | Potassium: 1228mg | Fiber: 11.8g | Sugar: 24.3g | Calcium: 633mg | Iron: 7mg
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