Eggplant Rollatini With Spinach
Eggplant Rollatini With Spinach
Eggplant rollatini is a classic Italian dish and one of my personal favorites. What you may not realize is that eggplant, when fried, acts like a sponge and sucks up oil very efficiently! In my version, the cast-iron pan is the fat- and calorie-saver. Cast-iron pans, when seasoned well, will sear items and produce a beautiful browning and crispness with very little fat. I added spinach to this recipe to boost flavor and volume. I also use low-fat ricotta and mozzarella and you cannot tell the difference. This recipe rocks... enjoy!
You can also use frozen spinach for this recipe; just be sure to squeeze out as much water as possible.
Click here to see Diane's Dish on... Eggplant.
Servings
6
Ingredients
- 2 cup part-skim ricotta
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano or 1/3 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil or 1/3 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 cup chopped, cooked spinach
- 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1 whole egg plus 4 egg whites, beaten
- 1/4 cup low-fat or fat-free milk
- 2 cup breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil
- 2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice the ends off the eggplants and slice lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Set out 3 baking sheets or platters. Place the whole-wheat flour, salt, and pepper in one baking sheet, the egg, egg whites, and milk in another, and the breadcrumbs in the last sheet.
- Coat all of the eggplant slices first in the flour, then the egg, and lastly cover completely with the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess at each step. Rub a cast-iron or nonstick skillet or griddle with 1 teaspoon oil and place over medium-high heat. Cook the eggplant in batches without crowding for 3 minutes on each side. Wipe the skillet with paper towels or cloth between batches then rerub with oil each time.
- Coat a baking sheet with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Transfer the eggplant to the baking sheet in a single layer (you may need multiple baking sheets). Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Lay a slice of baked eggplant on a flat surface and place about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto the smaller end of the eggplant. Roll the eggplant and place seam side down in a baking dish where the rolls fit snugly next to each other.
- Spoon the tomato sauce over each roll and bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Then, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake, uncovered, for 5 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!