Eggplant Rollatini
Crispy fried eggplant slices wrapped around a creamy ricotta mixture, and topped with marinara and more cheese.
Ingredients
- 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 Pecorino Romano grated
For the filling (mix together)
- 1 1/4 pounds ricotta
- 1/2 pound mozzarella shredded
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano grated
- 1/4 cup parsley minced
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the seasoned breadcrumbs (mix together)
- 3 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup parsley minced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 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!
Video
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
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