Eggplant Rollatini

RECIPE BY MyRecipes

Savory Eggplant Rollatini is an easy and unexpected party appetizer. Cut each roll-up in half and serve with toothpicks for a pop-in-your-mouth bite.
Ingredients

4 medium eggplants Salt and pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 1 10-oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 3 cups part-skim ricotta 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 large eggs, beaten 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella 3/4 cup grated Parmesan 1 24-oz. jar marinara sauce

Step 1
Slice ends off eggplants. Cut eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, discarding peel-covered ends. You should get roughly 16 slices total. Lay slices on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt. Let stand for 15 minutes, then rinse salt off under cold running water and pat slices dry.

Step 2
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil and place in single layers on 2 baking sheets. Roast for 15 minutes, until tender, turning eggplant slices over halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks until cool enough to handle.

Step 3
In a large bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, garlic, eggs, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce over bottom of dish. Divide ricotta mixture among eggplant slices, using about 1/3 cup for each, spreading it down the center. Roll up slices and place seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Step 4
Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.