Unleash your culinary creativity with our tantalizing Eggplant Rolls with Ricotta: a symphony of flavors and textures that will elevate your taste buds to new heights. This delightful dish showcases tender eggplant slices, expertly grilled and rolled around a delectable filling of creamy ricotta cheese, aromatic herbs, and a touch of tangy lemon zest. Each bite offers a harmonious balance of savory and refreshing notes, making it a perfect appetizer or main course for any occasion. Additionally, we present two exciting variations to cater to diverse palates: a vibrant sun-dried tomato and spinach filling, and a flavorful combination of roasted red peppers and artichokes. These variations add a delightful twist to the classic recipe, offering a range of options to suit your preferences. Get ready to embark on a culinary adventure as you discover the secrets to preparing this irresistible dish, with our step-by-step guide and expert tips.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
EGGPLANT ROLLS WITH RICOTTA, WALNUTS AND MINT
Steps:
- Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Lay the eggplant slices on the rack, generously salting each slice (about 1/4 teaspoon per slice). Place another baking sheet on top of the eggplant and weigh it down with a few cans. Let them sit 30 minutes. Flip the eggplant slices, sprinkle with more salt, weigh down again and let them sit for another 30 minutes. (This draws out the bitter juices.) Meanwhile, toast the walnuts.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a small baking sheet and pop into the oven until the walnuts give off their nutty aroma and deepen in color, about 5 minutes. When they are cool enough to touch, chop them finely.
- Make the ricotta filling: Push the ricotta through a sieve into a medium bowl. This gives the cheese a light, airy texture. Add the toasted walnuts, garlic, mint, date, half the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a swirl of olive oil. Stir together, taste for seasoning and then set aside.
- Rinse the eggplant slices well and pat them dry. Warm a grill pan over moderately-high heat. Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil on one side; place the oiled-side down on the hot griddle and brush the other side. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook another 2 minutes.
- To assemble the rolls, place a couple of tablespoons of filling at one of end of a slice of eggplant. Roll and place on a plate seam-side down. Top the eggplant rolls with the remaining lemon juice, a swirl of extra-virgin olive oil and the reserved mint leaves, torn over the dish. Serve hot or at warm temperature.
EGGPLANT WALNUT RICOTTA ROLLS WITH FRESH GREENS AND BASIL SALAD
If you're looking to wow your crowd this Thanksgiving, consider these festive eggplant rolls. Courtesy of reader Christine Vartanian Datian of Las Vegas, these decadent rolls of Japanese eggplant strips, ricotta and walnuts are colorful and tasty, with an added crunch. Ms. Datian said the dish is influenced by her Armenian heritage. Sometimes she substitutes almonds or pecans for the walnuts and sour cream for the ricotta, depending on her guests, but her preference is the combination of walnuts and ricotta, layered on the strips of Japanese eggplant. She serves it as both an appetizer and a main course, next to a fig and basil salad and with a variety of California red and white wines. She garnishes the dish with parsley and green onions to add more color. "It's very, very pretty," said Ms. Datian. "The ricotta and the walnuts with the crunch factor -- people like it, and children like it too."
Provided by Tara Parker-Pope
Categories main course
Time 40m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Wash eggplants, cut off and discard stems. On a cutting board, using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice each eggplant lengthwise in long pieces, 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle eggplant slices with Kosher salt and place in a large colander to drain for 15 to 20 minutes. Discard liquid.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, dill, sea salt, nutmeg, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix all ingredients until smooth in texture and set aside. (Ricotta filling should be chilled until ready to use.)
- In a large deep skillet, pour ½-inch canola oil and heat over medium heat until oil is hot. Blot the pieces of eggplant with paper towel to remove any water droplets and fry eggplant slices in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 90 seconds per side. Remove from pan to drain flat on paper towels.
- Place slices of eggplant on a tray or dish and spread a tablespoon or two of the ricotta filling across each slice; roll up pin-wheel style and repeat until all eggplant slices have been filled and rolled.
- In a medium bowl, toss the salad greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Arrange the mixed greens on four serving plates and serve with eggplant walnut ricotta rolls. Toss torn basil leaves over the salad. Garnish salad with candied walnuts.
EGGPLANT ROLL-UPS
We love these easy Italian eggplant roll-ups stuffed with creamy ricotta and spinach. The fact that they are vegetarian is a bonus! -Laura Haugen, Portland, Oregon
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h10m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°. Cut eggplants lengthwise into eighteen 1/4-in.-thick slices; reserve leftover pieces. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Coat both sides of eggplant slices with cooking spray; place in a single layer on prepared pans. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bake until just pliable (do not soften completely), 10-12 minutes; cool slightly. , Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add spinach; cover and boil 2-3 minutes or until wilted. Drain spinach and squeeze dry. Chop spinach and set aside., Finely chop leftover eggplant to measure 1 cup (discard remaining or save for another use). In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chopped eggplant; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes, puree, basil, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until flavors are blended., Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine filling ingredients and spinach. Place a rounded tablespoon of filling on the wide end of each eggplant slice; carefully roll up. Place roll-ups over sauce, seam side down. Top with 1-1/2 cups sauce. In a small bowl, mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; sprinkle over top. Bake until heated through and bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce and, if desired, sprinkle with parsley.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 257 calories, Fat 10g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 23mg cholesterol, Sodium 652mg sodium, Carbohydrate 28g carbohydrate (14g sugars, Fiber 8g fiber), Protein 12g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
CHEESY EGGPLANT ROLL-UPS RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: eggplants, ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, fresh basil, egg, salt, pepper, marinara sauce
Provided by Merle O'Neal
Categories Dinner
Yield 13 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- Slice the ends the eggplants and slice them into ¼ -inch (½ cm) slices and lay them out on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
- Season with a pinch of salt on both sides of the eggplant slices and let them sweat for 20 minutes, then dry them with a paper towel. Once dried; add a pinch of pepper.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until soft.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, mix ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, basil, and egg.
- Remove eggplant slices from the oven and turn oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto eggplant slice then roll it up, repeating for all slices.
- In a 11x17-inch (28 x 43cm) baking sheet, pour ½ of the marinara sauce, then add all the roll-ups seam down. Pour remaining ½ of marinara sauce, and top with basil and parmesan.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 143 calories, Carbohydrate 10 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 8 grams, Sugar 3 grams
STUFFED EGGPLANT PARMESAN ROLLS
Had this for the first time at a take-out pizza and pasta place in southern California. We all loved it so much that we came up with our own version that is just as good as the take-out one. This has become an all-time favorite in our house. Serve with your favorite tomato sauce, cream sauce, or other topping sauce. We serve this over spaghetti noodles, then top with favorite sauce sprinkled with cheese. Or just eat as they are straight from the oven.
Provided by Nikki Wilson
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h25m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Slice eggplant into 1/4-inch thick slices lengthwise; discard the end slices with skin. Lay the eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle both sides generously with sea salt. Let slices drain for 30 minutes; rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip each eggplant slice in flour and shake off excess; dip into egg and then into bread crumbs.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the slices until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels, place on baking sheets, and refrigerate eggplant for 10 minutes.
- Mix ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, and garlic in a bowl; season to taste with salt and black pepper. Place a cooled eggplant slice onto a work surface and mound 1/3 to 1/2 cup of cheese mixture in the center; roll up slice and place seam side down into the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining slices and cheese filling.
- Bake rolls in the preheated oven until filling is hot, about 25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 315.1 calories, Carbohydrate 30.2 g, Cholesterol 95.2 mg, Fat 14.9 g, Fiber 3.9 g, Protein 15.6 g, SaturatedFat 5.6 g, Sodium 747.1 mg, Sugar 3.2 g
BAKED EGGPLANT AND RICOTTA ROLLS
I saw this on the cover of Good Taste and decided, with eggplants at $2.99/kg, that it had to be dinner! And it didn't disappoint. It's actually quite fun to get a guest or two to help you, they can make the rolls whilst you fix the salad and polenta!
Provided by Chickee
Categories Vegetable
Time 40m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius Spray large baking trays with oil spray to lightly grease, cut eggplants into 16 or so 1cm thick slices lengthways. Arrange eggplant in a single layer, on the repared trays. Lightly spray with olive oil spray. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
- Meanwhile, mix the basil, ricotta, and three quarters of the parmesan in a medium bowl. Taste and season well with pepper.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on one eggplant slice. Roll up firmly to encose fulling. Place the roll, seam side down, in a 30 x 20cm baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ricotta mix and eggplant slices. Pour the sauce evenly over the rolls, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and the mozzarella. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until the mozzarella melts. Serve with polenta, if desired.
RICOTTA EGGPLANT ROLLS
This is a great way to use those summer eggplants! These delicious rolls are perfect for parties and holidays. To save time and clean-up, you can probably use a good, jarred tomato sauce instead of the homemade tomato sauce. Milk or half-and-half can be used instead of the whipping cream.
Provided by Fran Weidman
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 2h
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant and lightly browned. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, sugar, and pepper. Simmer covered over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a large shallow dish, stir together the bread crumbs and flour. In a separate dish, whisk together the eggs and cream with a fork.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs. Fry each slice until golden brown in the hot oil, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
- Spread a thin layer of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto one side of each slice of eggplant. Roll up, and place in the baking dish seam side down. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls. Cover the baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Garnish with additional chopped parsley before serving if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 577.8 calories, Carbohydrate 53.3 g, Cholesterol 96.8 mg, Fat 30.4 g, Fiber 7.4 g, Protein 25.8 g, SaturatedFat 11.3 g, Sodium 1165.7 mg, Sugar 8.1 g
EGGPLANT ROLLS WITH RICOTTA
Delicious and pretty. An old Gourmet recipe. Depending on the availability of the ingredients, this dish has the potential to be ultraquick, low cal and even vegetarian. In Italy the besciamella (cream sauce) is such a common ingredient that it is available in cartons ready-made and low cal (by Parmalat). Low fat ricotta is available. Precooked spinach is available in the deli department. And I use leftover meatloaf for the ground beef and onions. It is wonderful using SaraFish's recipe #33921. The only thing that takes a bit of time and calories is the preparation of the eggplant, but that may be available for you pregrilled in the deli section. You may have vegetable spray, too, which we don't have here. I made this the other day to great reviews, and the stuffing and assembly took barely five minutes!
Provided by MariaLuisa
Categories Vegetable
Time 1h15m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Cut the eggplant, trimmed and peeled, lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices, arrange in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let them drain for about an hour to eliminate the bitter juices. Rinse and pat dry.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- For the besciamella, melt 1/4 cup butter over moderate heat, stir in the flour, and cook the roux over low heat, stirring, for three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the hot milk in a stream and whisk until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the optional 1/2 bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer to thicken to coat a spoon, 5-10 minutes, and discard the bay leaf.
- For the stuffing, cook the onion in a small skillet in a bit of butter until softened, add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until it is no longer pink. Stir in the ricotta, spinach, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add a bit of cream to reach the desired consistency -- I've not needed it.
- For the assembly and final cooking, heat some of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat, add the eggplant slices in batches, and cook until softened and golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. When cool enough to handle, put about 2 tablespoons of the stuffing on the narrow end of each eggplant slice, roll up and arrange seam-side down in a greased baking dish large enough to hold all the rolls in a single layer. Nap the rolls with the besciamella, sprinkle with 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese and bake in the upper third of the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until browned and lightly bubbling. Sprinkle the rolls with the minced fresh parsley.
Tips:
- To ensure the eggplant slices are pliable, slice them thinly and evenly. A mandoline slicer is a useful tool for achieving consistent thickness.
- To prevent the eggplant slices from absorbing too much oil during cooking, pat them dry with paper towels before frying or baking.
- If you are frying the eggplant slices, use a large skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom. This will help the slices cook evenly and prevent them from sticking.
- To make the ricotta filling, use whole-milk ricotta cheese for a richer flavor and creamier texture.
- If you are using a jarred tomato sauce, choose one that is high-quality and flavorful. You can also make your own tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes.
- To prevent the eggplant rolls from drying out, cover them with foil or a lid during baking.
- Serve the eggplant rolls warm or at room temperature. They can be enjoyed as an appetizer, main course, or side dish.
Conclusion:
Eggplant rolls with ricotta are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. With their crispy eggplant exterior and creamy ricotta filling, these rolls are sure to be a hit at your next gathering. Whether you are serving them as an appetizer, main course, or side dish, these eggplant rolls are sure to impress. So next time you are looking for a new and exciting recipe to try, give these eggplant rolls with ricotta a try. You won't be disappointed!
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