I shared a photo of my eggplant rollatini/parmesan the other day, and many of you asked for the recipe, so here goes! Whether I make rollatini or parmigiana depends on the size of the eggplants I have. You need an eggplant that’s at least eight (8) inches long in order to make rollatini, but not much bigger than that because then the eggplant has too many seeds. If you have an eggplant that’s smaller than that, it’s better to make it parmigiana. It’s not an easy recipe, but it’s also not that hard, especially if you use a jarred sauce. Our favorite jarred sauce is Victoria White Linen Marinara. I give it a little more flavor with some fresh basil. Would Chef Carlo from NEVER A BRIDE ever use a jarred sauce? NEVER! He wants to win over Emma with his cooking! Grab your copy today at https://amzn.to/4wVHdZk.
Ingredients
1 large eggplant (at least 8 inches for rollatini)
2 eggs
2 cups breadcrumbs
32 ounces Galbani Ricotta Cheese
16 ounces shredded mozzarella (or 2 cheese mix – mozzarella & provolone)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup grated parmesan
Cooking spray
Directions
Cut a small slice off the top and bottom of the eggplant so you can stand it up to make the long slices. The slices should be about 1/4 inch thick. If you’re making it parmigiana style, cut into 1/4 rounds.
I do not salt and press my eggplant. I’ve never found it to be too bitter, but it’s okay if you want to do that. If you’re making rounds, you can also peel away some of the peel to reduce bitterness.
Preheat your oven. I use a toaster oven with an air fry feature and generally get it pre-heating for at least 5 minutes. If you do not have an air fryer or that option on a toaster oven, you can do “air fry” it in a regular oven. Just crank it to 450 for at least 10 minutes.
My oven has an air fry basket, but again, if you don’t have that, it’s easy to duplicate. Just place a piece of foil on a baking sheet and use a cooling rack. Spray the racks with the cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Beat one egg and add about a 1/4 water to lighten the egg wash for the eggplant slices. I use two pie plates to do the egg wash and bread crumbing.
Dip the eggplant into the egg wash and then press it into the bread crumbs. I do the one hand for wet, one for dry which makes it go easier. I can only fit about three slices on my air fry basket, so I make it in batches. Once I put the slices on the basket, I spray each side with the cooking spray.
You might be wondering why I do the air fry method. First, it’s healthier. But the major reason is that eggplant will soak up a lot of oil and frying it the traditional way can sometimes make for a greasy dish. You might also be wondering why I don’t do the flour/egg/bread crumb combo. I find that doing that additional flour step is too heavy and masks the flavor of the eggplant.
Place the racks with the breaded eggplant slices in the air fryer/oven. Cook for 5 minutes and then flip. Cook for another five minutes and then set on a tray to cool.
For the filling, mix 32 ounces of ricotta with 1/2 cup parmesan, the other egg (beaten), parsley, and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Mix well.
To start rolling/stacking, get a 9×13 baking pan and spray with the cooking spray. Add 1 cup marinara sauce to the pan and spread it around.
To roll, spread 2 tbsp about 3/4 of the way along the eggplant slice, moving from the widest part down to the end. You want to then roll it from the widest part toward the smaller end. Place that roll with the seam side down in the baking pan. Repeat as necessary.
When stacking, I normally do three (3) slices of eggplant per stack. The cheese mixture goes on the first slice, followed by a slice, cheese, and then the third slice on the top.
When you’ve rolled/stacked all your slices, spoon marinara sauce over all the rolls/slices. Top with the remaining 8 ounces of shredded cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan.
Bake in a 350 oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. You can also heat some more marinara to spoon it over the rolls/slices when serving them!
That’s it! It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it! The eggplant keeps well for leftovers as well, so I always make enough for that and to send some to my daughter.
