Eggplant Rollatini (Involtini di Melanzane)
Eggplant rollatini, otherwise known as “involtini” in Italy, is a dish that originated in the Puglia region of Italy. This dish is especially delicious in summer when eggplant are in season. In this recipe, I am using an eggplant I grew myself which make it so much more satisfying!
The key to making it less watery is to make sure you drain the ricotta in a strainer all day or overnight. The rollatini will release some juices while cooking but if you skip this step it will become rollatini soup!
Eggplant Rollatini (Involtini di Melanzane)
Ingredients
- 1 Large Eggplant
- 2 28oz cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano's)
- Fresh Basil to taste
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 cup AP Flour
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Filling
- 2 cups Whole Milk Ricotta
- 1/4 cup Grated Pecorino Romano
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 tbsp Fresh Chopped Parsley
- 1 Large Egg
- 4 oz Whole Milk Mozzarella (Low Moisture)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Prosciutto (*optional)
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant 1/8 in. thick.
- Into a ziploc bag, add flour, salt and pepper. Add the sliced eggplant to the bag and shake well, making sure to coat all the slices in flour.
- Into a bowl, add eggs and a splash of cold water and whisk well.
- To a large fry pan, add frying oil of choice about an inch deep. When the oil is hot, dip the floured eggplant into the egg and then directly into the oil to fry. Fry until golden brown on each side. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain.
Making the Sauce
- Hand crush the tomatoes first. Then to a saute pan, add olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic. Saute until fragrant, remove the garlic and add the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and fresh basil. Stir, vent the cover and let it simmer on medium for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Assembling the Rollatini
- Place a slice of eggplant down, a heaping tablespoon of filling and roll it up. In this video I also add a slice of prosciutto to some of them. It adds amazing flavor!
- Since it is summer and I don't want to turn my oven on, I am going to cook theses on my stovetop. **But you can bake them covered at 400F for 30 minutes if you prefer.**
- To cook on the stovetop, I place them in the pan I cooked the sauce. First I remove 2/3 of the sauce, leaving a generous layer on the bottom of the pan. Then I nestle the rollatini in the sauce. Add more sauce on top with grated Parmigiano and a sprinkle of mozzarella. Cover and cook on low medium until it in bubbling and all the mozzarella had melted on top.
- With the leftover sauce, I make pasta to go with this dish.
Video
@frannielovesfood Eggplant Rollatini (Involtini di Melanzane) INGREDIENTS * 1 Large Eggplant * 2 28oz cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano’s) * Fresh Basil to taste * 2 cloves Garlic * 2 Large Eggs * 1 cup AP Flour * Salt & Pepper to taste Filling * 2 cups Whole Milk Ricotta * 1/4 cup Grated Pecorino Romano * 1/4 cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano * 2 tbsp Fresh Chopped Parsley * 1 Large Egg * 4 oz Whole Milk Mozzarella (Low Moisture) * Salt & Pepper to taste * Prosciutto (*optional) #frannielovesfood #italianfood #italianfoodlover #italianfoodtok #homecook #foodtiktok #recipes #eggplant #eggplantrollatini
♬ beautiful jazz piano in Autumn, 7 minutes(871493) – ricca
