Gorgonzola Stuffed Eggplant Rolls With Mushroom Tomato Sauce

A vegetarian dish that can easily have meat added to it like ground, Italian sausage or veal. Very easy to make and a healthy meal that will fill you up. It is best to start the sauce and let it simmer while you prepare the rest of the dish. Some grilled chiabata bread goes along great for soaking up some of the sauce. And a glass of wine!

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 5-6 eggplant rolls

Ingredients

• For the sauce

• 1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1  medium sweet onion, chopped
• 2  minced garlic cloves
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chopped mushrooms
• 2  tablespoons  chopped basil
• 1  tablespoon dried oregano
•  salt and pepper

• For the eggplants rolls

• 1  medium eggplant
• 8  ounces artichokes, chopped
• 1  cup frozen chopped spinach, drained and chopped
• 8  ounces  creamy gorgonzola
• 2  ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
•  salt and pepper
• 1  ounce  grated parmesan cheese
•  chopped basil (to garnish)

Directions

1. Sweat onions over medium heat in a skillet for 5 minutes, then add garlic and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Then, add mushrooms.
2. Saute together for 3 to 4 minutes and then add canned, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir together and let it simmer on medium, low heat.
3. While sauce is simmering, combine artichokes, spinach, gorgonzola, and mozzarella cheese in a sauce pan over medium, low heat. Add salt and pepper and stir until cheese in melted and all the ingrediants are combined.
4. Take the eggplant and cut off both ends and discard. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.
5. Salt and pepper the strips of eggplant and spoon the cheese mixture onto one end of the eggplant. Roll the mixture up in the eggplant and secure with toothpicks.
6. Repeat with the rest of the rolls.
7. Spoon some of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Place the eggplant rolls in the dish and cover with remaining sauce.
8. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until eggplant in tender. During the last 5 minutes of baking sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Add chopped basil for garnish when done.