Eggplant Rollatini

I love breaded eggplant. I love the crunchy exterior & the fleshy interior. It's almost meaty - but it's not because it's a vegetable. When I make eggplant rollatini (think egg plant parmesan but rolled up with yummy ricotta cheese inside) I like to keep the integrity of the crunch, otherwise what’s the point of going through all the motions to bread it in the first place? I ensure the crunch by first baking my eggplant with a mixture of panko (the crunchiest) breadcrumbs ahead of time & then when it’s time to put it all together I use just a little bit of sauce to top them with because the more sauce you add the more mushy (less crispy) it gets - but if that's your thing - sauce away!

This is a great & hearty vegetarian option when you’re going meatless. What are you eating for meatless dinners?

Ingredients:

for the eggplant

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs (more might be needed depending on the size of your egg plant)
• 1 tablespoon dried parsely flakes
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• sea salt
• olive oil

for the filling

• 1 cup ricotta cheese (you may need more)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 egg
• sea salt & pepper

to put it all together

• 2 cups tomato sauce (you can make your own like  I did using this recipe, or you can use jarred - i won’t judge you)
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Make it!

1. First, let me begin by saying that you may need more or less of the ingredients depending on the size of your eggplant. I know that may sound unsettling, but this isn’t baking so if you have to add more breadcrumbs go ahead, or more flour or even another egg - you’ll see what I mean, trust me.
2. Pre-Heat your oven to 350.
3. Wash & dry the eggplant.
4. Cut the eggplant into strips lengthwise (you want them to be long so that you can roll them up).
5. Arrange eggplant slices on a clean flat surface (I used my cutting board) & sprinkle sea salt over each piece.
6. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
7. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with tin foil or parchment paper & set aside.
8. When the ten minutes is up you should see small puddles of liquid on each piece of eggplant blot this thoroughly with a paper towel - this is reducing the excess water in the eggplant so you can get a more crispy & tender result.
9. Set up three equal sized bowls.
10. In the first bowl add the flour & season with salt & pepper. Mix well.
11. In the second bowl add the eggs & season with salt & pepper. Mix well.
12. In the third bowl add breadcrumbs, dried parsley, granulated garlic, salt & pepper. Mix well. (You should be noticing a pattern here - we’re seasoning every step of the way.)
13. Work in an assembly line the three bowls lined up (flour, eggs, breadcrumbs) with the prepared baking sheets at the end.
14. Work with each slice of eggplant individually. Start by dredging the naked eggplant slice in the flour first so that both sides are covered in flour. 
15. Next, dip the flour dredged eggplant in the egg mixture so that the egg now sticks to both floured sides of the eggplant.
16. Then, dip the slice into the breadcrumbs so that it is cover completely.
17. Place finished slice onto the baking sheet & continue with the rest of the eggplant. Make sure to place them in one layer on the baking sheet so that they can crisp up - you don’t want them to over lap. Use a second baking sheet if you run out of room.
18. This is when you may notice you’re running out of flour or egg or breadcrumbs - if you are simply recreate that bowl of ingredients like you did when you first started.
19. You may also notice that your hands are getting really gunked up with stuff - feel free to wash in between. I like to try to use one hand to do the dipping so that only one hand gets messy but I usually end up using both.
20. When all slices are evenly spaced on the baking sheets drizzle each piece with some olive oil.
21. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes (flipping at the ten minute mark so that each side gets evenly crispy.)
22. This is a good time to do a little clean up & to prep your cheese filling.
23. Add all the filling ingredients in a bowl & mix well. Set aside.
24. if you’re making your sauce or pulling it out of the fridge start doing that now.
25. Grate the cheese.
26. Remove the eggplant (after 20 minutes) from the oven.
27. Set aside to cool.
28. Using a 13x9 (that’s at least 2 to 3 inches deep) oven safe baking casserole dish spread about 2 tablespoons of sauce (it can be cold or room temp - or even hot if you’ve just made it) on the bottom.
29. Now that your eggplant has cooled it should be easy to handle.
30. Put about a tablespoon on the widest end of the eggplant & roll it up towards the smaller end.
31. Place each rolled eggplant seam-side down in the casserole dish. You want them to fit snuggly so that they’ll unravel less.
32. Do this with all of the egg plant.
33. Top rolled up eggplant with a tablespoon or so of sauce - remember we want these crispy so don’t drowned them in the sauce - you should be able to see some of the eggplant.
34. Then top with grated mozzarella cheese.
35. Bake in the oven (still at 350) for about 30 minutes or until the top cheese is bubbly & slightly golden.
36. Serve hot with fresh parsley sprinkled over top & extra sauce on the side.