Let’s be real, eggplants are not really the most exciting food or ingredient out there. But, that is only because of the limited ways on how you can cook them.
But what if I tell you that you can make an eggplant-based dish that is explosive with taste and can make your dining experience feel like you are in a 5-star restaurant?
With that in mind, here is an easy recipe for one of my favorite eggplant meals – Baked Eggplant Rollatini!
What is an Eggplant Rollatini?
If this is your first time hearing about Eggplant Rollatini, then do not worry because not a lot of people all around the world know about this meal.
An Eggplant Rollatini is a classic Italian dish that uses eggplant as the main star of the dish. The eggplants are then mixed with fresh ingredients, savory cheeses, and aromatic herbs, then baked to perfection!
It is a low-carb, vegetarian-friendly dish that requires no breading and no deep frying – making it perfectly guilt-free to consume!
How to make Eggplant Rollatini
There are several reasons why you must add eggplants to your diet. But the most important one is its healthy benefits. Eggplants are a great source of vitamins and minerals your body needs!
So, whether this is your first time making Eggplant Rollatini or not, this recipe will give you a step-by-step guide on how you can make the best eggplant dish ever!
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce / marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
After slicing, salt the eggplant on both sides with a little salt. Leave for 10 minutes and let the eggplants sweat off the excess moisture. Pat dry with paper towels and wipe off the remaining salt.
Lay the eggplant in a single layer (not overlapping each other) on a lightly greased pan or baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the eggplants after the timer is done and let them cool.
The next step is making the filling. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and fresh basil.
After mixing all the filling, take 1 to 2 tablespoons of the filling and put it onto the bottom part of the eggplant slice.
Roll it up and repeat on the other eggplant slices until the ricotta filling is finished.
Spread a layer of half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of your casserole or baking dish, and then place the eggplant rolls in the dish.
Top your dish with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover your baking dish with foil and bake covered for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil after and bake for another 10 minutes, uncovered.
Remove the dish from the oven and serve.
More notes and tips for the best baked eggplant rollatini recipe
Making your own eggplant rollatini is very easy and fun to do which is why you can even ask your kids to join you in the preparation process or on the part where it’s time to fill in the mixture and roll the eggplant slices!
But with that said, I understand that you will still want to make sure that you will get the best results and flavors when you make baked eggplant rollatini. And do not worry, because I have here more notes and tips for you to consider:
- Make sure the slice of eggplants is thin enough. Ideally, the thin slices should be around 1/4 inch thick. This is because if the eggplants are sliced too thick or not even, your eggplant rollatini may bake unevenly, leaving some pieces to be undercooked or overcooked.
- Fresh minced garlic adds flavor and goes great inside the filling. But if you do not have any on hand, garlic powder to taste can be a great substitute.
- If you have any extra eggplant slices left and no more mixture available, you can just roast the extra eggplant slices that you won’t use.
- You can also air fry your extra eggplant slices. See my easy Air Fryer Eggplant Recipe.
- This dish is best served fresh but you can also make ahead and prepare a few things in advance in case you do not have enough time to prep and bake on the same day. You can already roast the eggplant ahead of time, mix the filling, roll them up, and assemble it until you are ready to bake them.
- If you want to make sure your eggplant rollatini do not dry up while it is cooking, you can add your remaining marina sauce to the top of the rollatini and add more mozzarella and parmesan cheese – depending on how cheesy you want it to be.
- You can add spinach to your filling!
- Feel free to add more herbs and spices to your liking. You can add fresh thyme and oregano, too. If you want a little spice to your dish, you can sprinkle a pit of red pepper flakes!
- Cool the dish for around 10 minutes before serving as it will help firm the filling a bit more in your eggplant rollatini, making it easier to plate and serve.
What to serve with baked eggplant rollatini
This baked eggplant rollatini dish is already very filling and satisfying on its own. Not to mention that it is already explosive in different flavors.
But, if you still want to add a few pairings to it or maybe you are hosting a gathering and want to include some side dishes, then I have here some recommendations on what to serve with baked eggplant rollatini:
- Fresh salad
- Pasta
- Garlic bread
- Quinoa or rice
- Air fried Zucchini Fries
- And more!
How to store baked eggplant rollatini leftovers
If you have any eggplant rollatini leftovers, do not worry because you can store your leftovers in the fridge for 4 days in an airtight container.
To reheat your eggplant rollatini, just place them back in the oven at 350 degrees F and cook until hot.
Is it okay to freeze eggplant rollatini?
If you want to serve your extra eggplant rollatini for future consumption or maybe you want to serve it when you are too lazy to cook something (don’t worry, I fully understand), then it is good to note that you can freeze eggplant rollatini for 2 to 3 months either before or after baking.
Before freezing, allow your baked eggplant rollatini to cool completely. Then, wrap individual portions of the dish.
Cut the eggplant rollatini into individual portions, or leave them whole if you prefer. Wrap each eggplant rolls tightly in plastic wrap. This method will help prevent freezer burn and keep the flavors of the dish locked in.
After wrapping, place the rollatini in a freezer-safe container or airtight freezer bag. You can store them in the freezer for around 2 to 3 months.
When you are ready to reheat your eggplant rollatini, thaw them first in the refrigerator overnight. Then, you can bake them again at 350 degrees F.
You can directly bake the rollatini while frozen while they may take around 30 to 45 minutes.
Baked Eggplant Rollatini
This Eggplant Rollatini is absolutely one of my favorite eggplant recipes to date! It is rich in flavor, healthy, easy to make. With that said, here is how you can make this eggplant rollatini recipe your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups tomato / marinara sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch thick pieces - lengthwise.
- After slicing, salt each sliced eggplant on both sides with a little salt. Leave for 10 minutes and let the eggplants sweat off the excess moisture. Pat dry with paper towels after and wipe off the remaining salt.
- Lay the eggplant in a single layer (not overlapping each other) on a lightly greased pan and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the eggplants after the timer is done and let them cool.
- The next step is making the filling. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and fresh basil.
- After mixing all the filling, take 1 to 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture and put it onto the bottom part of the eggplant slice.
- Roll it up and repeat on the other eggplant slices until the ricotta filling is finished.
- Spread a layer of half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of your casserole or baking dish, and then place the eggplant rolls in the dish.
- Top your dish with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake covered for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil after and bake for another 10 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove the dish from the oven and assemble the rollatini in a serving plate, and serve.
I’m Anastasia and I’m a full-time blogger, online entrepreneur, and Pinterest marketing strategist. I help digital entrepreneurs and bloggers drive targeted traffic from Pinterest either through my online courses or through Pinterest consultancy.