Ingredients

2 whole eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick, to get about 12 slices total
Salt for the eggplant slices
Flour and Olive oil
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, plus extra for the top of the rolls
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cups prepared tomato sauce (recipe below), homemade or store-bought
1 loaf Italian bread, for serving

Directions

Combine the egg, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses together in a mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and the chopped parsley. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the eggplant.

Place the eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkled them with salt to sweat for 30 minutes. Rinsed the slices with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a kitchen towel.

Dredge the slices in flour. Heat enough oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook the eggplant slices in the pan until lightly brown. Tuen the slices over and cook until the second side is lightly brown. Drain eggplant on paper towels. Repeat the process, adding more oil as needed, until all the slices are fried.

When the eggplant has cooled about 10 minutes, begin the filling process. On each slice, put about 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese mixture. Spread it on the eggplant and then roll. Repeat with all eggplant slices.

Cover the bottom of a deep baking dish with tomato sauce. Place the eggplant rolls in the bottom of the pan and spread tomato sauce over the top of the eggplant rolls. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with foil.

 


Bake in a 400-degree F oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. let rest 10 minutes before serving with some crusty Italian bread.

Rollatini Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (28-32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon prepared basil pesto
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and add the unsalted butter.


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