Tonight felt celebratory and I was inspired by the colors of red, white and blue. Though eggplant is technically purple, it held its own against the red marinara and white cheese. This was served alongside fettucine alfredo, and for those who preferred lower carb, zucchini noodle, or zoodles, alfredo (green is close to blue too, right?). Sautéed spinach or a mixed green salad would complement it well.
I love working with eggplant- there is so much possibility, but they require prep to expunge the bitter and toughness. Slicing the eggplant thin, salting and pressing out the water helps to get the right consistency. These adorable little rolls can be used as a side or main course. You can also serve them as appetizers if you are sure not to overstuff or over sauce- use a toothpick to hold them together.
Ingredients: (serves 6 as main course or 12 as side)
· Eggplant, one large
· Olive oil
· 16 ounces ricotta cheese, preferably fresh
· 1 cup shredded parmesan, divided
· 1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
· Salt & pepper
· 1 T Basil, chopped
· 3 cups Marinara sauce (homemade or good quality store bought)
Directions:
1. Prepare the eggplant: slice eggplant horizontally, as thin as possible while keeping it round and intact, about 1/8 inch
2. Lay eggplant slices on towels, sprinkle salt over them and press with towel to expunge the water. Let sit for up to an hour, pressing each one and flipping and salting the other side.
3. Sauté the eggplant slices in olive oil, about 2 min per side, enough to feel it soften, but don’t allow to brown
4. Preheat oven to 375
5. In a 9x13 casserole, coat bottom with one cup of marinara
6. Prepare cheese mixture with ricotta, ¾ c parmesan and 1/2 of mozzarella, leaving remaining cheeses to spread on top of dish
7. Fold each eggplant slice in half, and fill with about 2-3 T of cheese mix, depending on size of slice. Lay in prepared dish on the side.
8. Cover eggplant rolls with remaining sauce and then top with cheese and basil
9. Bake 30 min covered. Then broil 5 min until cheese is browned
10. Serve and enjoy!
Note#1: You may have leftover eggplant slices due to size of eggplant that don’t fold well, you can stack them with cheese and sauce between slices and bake with similar directions.
Note #2: For variation, add 3 T of pesto into cheese mix or roasted pine nuts, or both! Feta is also a good addition in the cheese mixture for a distinct flavor
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