Eggplant rollatini
Tender roasted eggplant slices rolled around spinach and three cheeses, then baked in marinara until bubbling.
- 90 min total
- 40 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $3.87 a serving
- 670 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 eggplant, large
- ½ package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup grated parmesan, divided
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 6 sprigs fresh basil, leaves torn (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 670 calories, 36 g protein, 38 g carbs and 43 g fat, and costs about $3.87 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No ricotta cheese? Cottage cheese works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No shredded mozzarella? Provolone slices work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the eggplants and them into ¼-inch slabs.
Trim. Trimming means cutting off the parts you don’t eat, like stem ends, tough bits or thick fat. It keeps chewy or bitter bits out of the finished dish.
How you’ll know: What’s left is the good part, with no dry ends, woody stems or thick white fat.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Lengthwise. Lengthwise means cutting along the long side, from stem to tip, which gives long pieces. Crosswise is the other way, straight across the middle, which gives short, round ones.
How you’ll know: Lengthwise halves of a zucchini look like two little canoes; crosswise pieces look like coins.
Set aside the two rounded end pieces for another use.
Brush both sides of the slices with oil, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and lay them on two baking sheets.
until soft and bendy, 12 to 15 minutes.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Timer: 13 min
Dolly’s tip: They need to be floppy enough to roll without cracking. If they snap, give them 3 more minutes.Let them cool.
Meanwhile, mix the spinach, ricotta, egg, ½ cup parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper and ½ teaspoon salt.
Turn the oven down to 375°F. Spread 1 cup marinara in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling onto the wide end of each , roll it up and set it seam side down in the dish.
Heaping. Heaping means a rounded mound piled above the rim of the spoon or cup, not leveled off. It’s a little more than the measure, on purpose.
How you’ll know: The pile sits above the edge of the spoon, and you leave it there instead of scraping it flat.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Spoon the rest of the sauce over the rolls and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is , about 30 minutes.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 30 min
Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Let it sit 5 minutes, then serve three or four rolls each with basil on top.
Timer: 5 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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