Eggplant Rollatini with a Crunch

Ingredients 0/31

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). While that warms up, soak the eggplant slices in salted water for about 15 minutes to help take away any bitterness. Drain them, then cover the slices with milk and set aside.

Step 2

Mix the flour with half of the garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a big zip-top bag. In another bag, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining spices. Lightly beat the eggs in a shallow dish that's wide enough for the eggplant slices.

Step 3

Coat each eggplant slice by first tossing it in the flour mixture, then dipping it into the egg, and finally shaking it around in the panko bag to get a nice crust. Do this for all the slices. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the breaded slices in batches, about 2 minutes on each side, until they’re golden and crispy. Transfer them to a cooling rack and add more oil as needed for each batch.

Step 4

For the sauce, warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion softens, around 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced and chopped tomatoes, pepper, oregano, basil, salt, and poultry seasoning. Let it simmer gently on low, covered, stirring every so often for 10 to 15 minutes so the flavors meld nicely.

Step 5

While the sauce simmers, mix together the ricotta, spinach, egg, Parmesan, garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spread a couple of tablespoons of this filling onto each eggplant slice, then roll them up and place them snugly in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the rolls.

Step 6

Pop the dish into your preheated oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and everything is heated through, about 30 minutes. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving to let the flavors settle. Enjoy!