Eggplant rollatini

Tender eggplant slices rolled around a creamy cheese filling. The dish comes out of the oven bubbling, with melted mozzarella stretching from your fork and a tomato sauce reduced to coat every bite.

• Prep time: 30 min
• Cook time: 40 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 587
• Protein: 25 g
• Carbs: 21 g
• Fat: 45 g

Ingredients

• 3 piece Eggplant (aubergine) ( thinly sliced )
• 400 g Brousse (fresh sheep's milk cheese made from whey) ( drained )
• 50 g Parmesan cheese ( grated )
• 150 g Buffalo milk mozzarella ("di bufala") ( shredded )
• 1 piece Egg ( beaten )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 1 piece Basil ( chopped )
• 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 500 ml Marinara Sauce

Instructions

1. Preparation and sweating

   Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 5mm thick pieces. Salt each slice with sea salt and let them sweat for 20 minutes to remove bitterness. Pat dry thoroughly with a clean cloth.

2. Pre-cooking the slices

   Brush the slices with extra virgin olive oil. Bake or pan-fry until they are flexible and lightly golden. They shouldn't break when handled.

3. Filling mixture

   In a mixing bowl, combine the brousse cheese, egg, parmesan, and chopped basil. Add finely minced garlic and a pinch of ground black pepper. The mixture should be smooth and firm.

4. Assembly and rolling

   Place a generous spoonful of filling at the end of each eggplant slice. Roll tightly. Place the rolls, seam side down, in a baking dish already coated with marinara sauce.

5. Final baking

   Cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake at 200°C until the cheese is well browned and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.

Chef's tips

• Don't skip the salt sweating, it prevents the eggplant from becoming spongy and bitter.
• If the sauce reduces too quickly, cover the dish with parchment paper for the first 15 minutes.

Storage

Keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Flavors are even better the next day after gentle reheating.