Vegetarian Eggplant Rollatini Everyone Loves
Tender slices of roasted eggplant rolled around a creamy ricotta filling, baked in marinara, and topped with bubbly cheese — a lighter, gluten-free version of a classic Italian dish.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium eggplants, sliced lengthwise (¼ inch thick)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (for roasting)
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese (part-skim or vegan)
- 1/2 cup cooked spinach, chopped and drained
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (or nutritional yeast)
- 1 egg (or flax egg)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Salt eggplant slices and let sit 15 minutes. Pat dry.
- Arrange slices on baking sheet, brush with olive oil, roast 15–18 minutes. Let cool.
- Mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, egg, garlic, seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Spread 1/2 cup marinara in a 9×13 dish. Add 1–2 tbsp filling to each eggplant slice, roll, and place seam-down.
- Top with remaining marinara and mozzarella.
- Cover and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10–15 minutes more.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve warm.
Notes
- Make ahead and refrigerate or freeze before baking.
- For vegan version, use dairy-free ricotta and cheese.
- Great for meal prep — stores well in fridge up to 4 days.