Easy Eggplant Rollatini Recipe
This easy eggplant rollatini recipe is a delicious and foolproof low carb dinner!
Oh Italian food, how I love thee ? Now that eggplant has entered it’s peak season, I’ve been majorly craving it. Normally I’d just cook it in a tomato sauce and put it over pasta (I should shoot that recipe, too!), but I was trying to watch my carbs last week… and then I remembered eggplant rollatini. It feels comforting and indulgent without adding any pasta to it. YUM YUM YUM.
In case you’ve never had it, eggplant rollatini is thinly sliced and roasted eggplant, with a ricotta cheese mixture rolled inside. It’s then baked in a tomato sauce, and it tastes like a mix between eggplant parmesan and lasagna. Some recipes dip the eggplant in egg and breadcrumbs and either fry or bake that – similar to an eggplant parmesan. This recipe is much simpler than that. No coating in breadcrumbs, no frying, no extra mess! Instead, this recipe keeps it simple and healthy. Plus, I use a jarred tomato sauce to make it even easier. There’s no shame in that shortcut. Especially. now that there are so many great options out there!
Easy Eggplant Rollatini Recipe
Ingredients
1 eggplant, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 raw chicken sausages, casings removed
1 jar of tomato sauce
3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup basil, chopped
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400F.
Step 2
Thinly slice eggplant lengthwise (about a 1/4 inch). Salt the slices on both sides and let it sit for about 10 minutes. They’ll “sweat” a bit as they sit, so pat dry with paper towels after 10 minutes.
Step 3
Place eggplant in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes (12 is perfect for my oven!). Remove from oven and let cool.
Step 4
While that’s cooking, add chopped onion and chicken sausage to an oven safe pot with olive oil. Break up the meat as it cooks.
Step 5
In a bowl, mix ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil.
Step 6
When the chicken sausage is cooked through and the onion has softened, add all but 1/3 cup of sauce to the pot. (Save the 1/3 cup for later!) Stir everything together and simmer the sauce.
Step 7
Take an eggplant slice and spoon the ricotta mixture onto one end and roll the eggplant to cover the cheese. Gently place it into the sauce, seam side down. Repeat until all of the eggplant slices are filled and rolled.
Step 8
Spoon the 1/3 cup of sauce that you saved over the top. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 9
Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes.
Step 10
Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and chopped basil!
Tips To Making Eggplant Rollatini
How to Prepare Eggplant
Don’t skip the salting step! People originally did this to draw on the bitterness in eggplants, but now it’s moreso to draw out excess moisture before roasting. It also seasons it, which is always a good thing!
How to Roll Eggplant
I found that it was best to put the ricotta mixture on the widest part of the eggplant slice and then roll from there. That way, each eggplant roll will be full.
How to Make Variations of the Filling
Honestly, the ricotta is the most important part… otherwise, you’re free to have some fun! You could add a different cheese, different herbs, or even other vegetables! I think this would be great with spinach and mozzarella cheese added to it.
How to Store Leftovers
If you have room in your fridge, just cover your pot and put it in! If not (like me), I transferred it to a glass container. It gets a little messy when you transfer, but that’s okay. It was pretty the first day – that’s all that matters!
How to Reheat Leftovers
Add the portion you want to reheat to a pan over a medium low heat and cover it. After a few minutes, uncover and make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you don’t want to pay that much attention, you could also put it back in the oven at 350 degrees – but that will definitely take longer! You won’t have to bake for 30 minutes… but it will probably take 15. (Or just pop it in the microwave. I won’t tell anyone!)
Not only are eggplants in season right now (July thru October is the best time to buy them!), but they also have a bunch of health benefits! First of all, they’re a great source of vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, thiamine, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, potassium, and more. Also, because they are high in fiber, they can be great for your digestion. Yay for gut health!
In addition, eggplant’s purple color isn’t just pretty, it’s covered with an antioxidant called nasunin which can help protect brain cell membranes that can improve your memory. That pretty skin also has anthocyanin, which can help lower your blood pressure. Other natural plant compounds found in eggplants have been proven to promote stronger bones and increase bone density. And the iron and calcium in them doesn’t hurt either!
Easy Eggplant Rollatini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 raw chicken sausages, casings removed
- 1 jar of tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Thinly slice eggplant lengthwise (about a 1/4 inch). Salt the slices on both sides and let it sit for about 10 minutes. They’ll “sweat” a bit as they sit, so pat dry with paper towels after 10 minutes.
3. Place eggplant in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes (12 is perfect for my oven!). Remove from oven and let cool.
4. While that’s cooking, add chopped onion and chicken sausage to an oven safe pot with olive oil. Break up the meat as it cooks.
5. In a bowl, mix ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil.
6. When the chicken sausage is cooked through and the onion has softened, add all but 1/3 cup of sauce to the pot. (Save the 1/3 cup for later!) Stir everything together and simmer the sauce.
7. Take an eggplant slice and spoon the ricotta mixture onto one end and roll the eggplant to cover the cheese. Gently place it into the sauce, seam side down. Repeat until all of the eggplant slices are filled and rolled.
8. Spoon the 1/3 cup of sauce that you saved over the top. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
9. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes.
10. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and chopped basil!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 603mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 18g
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PS. You might also like my Vodka Sauce, my Pesto Sauce, and How To Make Grilled Pizza.
