Eggplant Rollatini with Spinach and Ricotta

Try this Eggplant Rollatini with Spinach and Ricotta recipe

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Eggplant Rollatini with Spinach and Ricotta Save
Eggplant Rollatini with Spinach and Ricotta
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Try this Eggplant Rollatini with Spinach and Ricotta recipe

  • Preparing Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Served Person: 0
main dish

Step-by-step

  • Slice the eggplants thinly lengthways.
  • Salt the eggplant slices and let them sit to draw out moisture, then pat dry.
  • Sauté the shallot and garlic until translucent.
  • Add the canned chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper to make the sauce. Simmer until thickened.
  • In a separate pan, wilt the spinach and squeeze out excess liquid.
  • Mix the ricotta, wilted spinach, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
  • Lightly grill or bake the eggplant slices until pliable.
  • Place a spoonful of the ricotta and spinach mixture at the end of each eggplant slice and roll them up.
  • Spread a layer of tomato sauce in a baking dish, arrange the eggplant rollatini on top, and cover with the remaining sauce.
  • Top with shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese.
  • Bake in a preheated oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Salting sliced eggplant draws out excess internal moisture through osmosis, preventing the vegetable from turning spongy or releasing excess water into the sauce during baking. Without this step, water trapped inside the cellular structure ruins the crisp exterior and dilutes the filling.

Ricotta cheese presents a distinct textural challenge because fresh varieties often contain too much whey. Draining whole-milk ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve for twenty minutes yields a dense, manageable paste that will not liquefy when mixed with spinach and parmesan. Bakers substituting cottage cheese must first purée it smooth and reduce the volume slightly to account for higher sodium levels.

Substitutions alter the structural integrity of rolled dishes. Mozzarella provides reliable stretch and mild flavor, whereas provolone introduces sharper notes but melts with less uniformity due to lower moisture content. Adjusting fat ratios elsewhere helps balance these deviations.

Pairing this rich, cheese-laden dish with a crisp, high-acidity green salad dressed in a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the density of dairy fats. Plain hearth bread or focaccia works well to absorb excess tomato sauce.

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