This is a delicious dish, we are talking about grilled eggplant rolls stuffed with mozzarella and topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil cooked in the oven.
They can be served as a fresh and light appetizer, perfect for aperitifs and buffet dinners, and, in larger quantities, can also be served as a main dish, perhaps after a hearty first course.
It’s healthy, easy, and very practical; it can also be prepared in advance, and after 20 minutes in the oven, it’s ready on the table.
Great for everyone, and if you have vegetarian friends, it will be perfect.
A dish full of memories, on Sundays they were the side dish for festive occasions, good, very good, and stringy and delicious with the warm and juicy filling.
I used round eggplants, but long ones are also fine.
The eggplants are grilled, but if you want, you can fry them or bake them lightly oiled, slice by slice.
Of course, before grilling them, I made them lose their bitterness by soaking them in water and salt, but you can also salt them in a colander; it’s up to you. Anyway, I’ll show you both methods.
In this recipe, you can get creative with the ingredients. I added tomato, basil, mozzarella, and grated cheese. Feel free to add a slice of cooked ham, for instance, or replace the mozzarella with smoked provola.
Let’s get cooking.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4/6
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Autumn
- Energy 253.72 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 7.01 (g) of which sugars 1.78 (g)
- Proteins 13.35 (g)
- Fat 19.93 (g) of which saturated 10.65 (g)of which unsaturated 1.86 (g)
- Fibers 2.36 (g)
- Sodium 794.26 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 5 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Eggplant Rolls
- 3 eggplants (large)
- 3 cups g tomato passata
- 7 oz g fiordilatte (or mozzarella or provola etc)
- q.b. grated Parmesan
- 1 bunch basil
- q.b. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- q.b. salt
- pepper
Tools
- Saucepan
- Grill Pan
- Baking Dish
- Mandoline
- Wooden Spoon
- 1 Bowl
Steps for the Eggplant Rolls
Eggplants need to be purged for 3 important reasons:
To remove the bitter aftertaste. To absorb less oil. To salt them evenly.
There are two main and fairly quick methods to purge eggplants.
Put the dry eggplants under salt. Or soak the eggplants in water with salt.
In this preparation, I used the second method.
To purge eggplants with water and salt, you will need to cut the eggplants into slices.
Take a large basin, fill it with cold water, add a handful of salt, and stir a bit to dissolve it. Submerge the eggplants.
They will tend to float; to submerge them, place a weight on top to push them under the water.
Wait an hour, and your eggplants are ready for any preparation. Just squeeze them between the palms of your hands to remove excess water.
(If you want to adopt the first method, here’s how to do it. To purge eggplants with salt, you should cut the eggplants into slices or cubes, depending on the recipe you’re making. Get a colander and salt, make a layer of eggplants and a layer of salt, another layer of eggplants and salt, until they are all covered. Let them rest like this for half an hour, at most an hour, then rinse them and squeeze them a bit with your hands to remove excess water).
In a saucepan, combine the oil and a peeled garlic clove, let it brown, and add the tomato passata.
Adjust the salt and let it cook for about 15/20 minutes on low heat.
Cut the mozzarella into fairly large chunks and let it drain.
Grate the cheese.
Wash the basil leaves and dry them.
The eggplants have been purged, now drain and dry them with paper towels or a clean cloth.
Grill the eggplants well on both sides. Once cooked, transfer them to a plate and proceed to form the rolls.
On a surface, lay the eggplant slices and spread just a thin layer of sauce over them. Place a piece of mozzarella (not too small) and a basil leaf at the base, then generously sprinkle with grated cheese.
Roll the eggplant slice, leaving the end part facing down.
Once the rolls are formed, take the baking dish, pour a ladle of sauce over the base, and arrange the rolls.
Add a spoonful of tomato passata on top, then sprinkle with some grated cheese and a bit of pepper.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 15-20 minutes.
Ready to be served. Good when hot and slightly warm, so the inside is stringy.
Enjoy your meal.
Tips
If desired, they can be prepared in advance in the baking dish and baked at the time of serving.
They can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I add cooked ham to the rolls?
Yes
Do I have to salt them?
I do it because it removes bitterness, makes them more digestible, and I find them softer when cooked.
Do I have to bake them?
If you want, you can follow the same procedure but in a pan: sauce, rolls, more sauce, grated Parmesan, cover with a lid, and cook for 20/25 mins on medium heat until ready.
