Eggplant Roll-Ups With Roasted Tomato Sauce

Submitted by helowy

"This is one of those recipes I have had to give up since marrying a non-eggplant-eater and having two non-eggplant eating children. It is a lovely company vegetarian main dish. More or less like a lasagna roll-up made with eggplant instead of noodles."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 45mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 20 ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half and seeded (2 2/3 lbs)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄3 cup minced fresh basil
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 eggplants (about 9-inch long each)
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1⁄4 cups shredded swiss cheese (Gruyere is best)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F Toss tomatoes with salt and 1T olive oil. Place, cut sides down, on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until skins are blistered.
2. Cool.
3. Put tomatoes, 2 T olive oil, basil and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside tomato sauce.
4. Preheat oven to 425°F Trim off cap and stem of the eggplants so that it looks more or less like a tube with flat ends. Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices (roughly rectangular or oval in shape, NOT round). Spray both sides of the eggplant slices with cooking spray. Arrange slices (about 18) on nonstick baking sheets. Bake slices for 10 minutes; turn and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until tender. Cool.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F Combine spinach, ricotta, and parmesan, and mix well. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread spinach mixture evenly on eggplant slices and roll up slices starting at the narrow end. Place rolls, seam side down, in the baking dish.
6. Cover dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
7. Uncover, sprinkle with swiss cheese, and bake an additional five minutes, or until cheese is melted.
8. Serve topped with the tomato sauce.

Reviews

[Diplo-mom]

I loved this recipe and so did my family. I wasn't sure of using the gruyere but decided to follow the recipe exactly as written, except because of laziness, I just mashed up the tomatoes with the other ingredients. I actually liked it chunky:) Wish I could take good photos as the presentation was beautiful. I think next time I make it I will share with others. Thanks megnbrycesmom for submitted such a yummy veggie dish!

 

[Hey Jude]

My husband and I love eggplant and we really liked this recipe, which I halved for the two of us. I didn't know whether or not to take the skin off of the tomatoes, but after roasting them, they were falling off, so I just took them off as I didn't know what the texture of the sauce would be like if I'd left them on. Also, next time I make this (and I will), I'll peel the eggplant before roasting the slices as the skin became ribbons in each mouthful of the finished dish. Otherwise, this is an excellent recipe. We have leftover sauce which will be used as a dip for mozzarella sticks. Thanks Megnbrycesmom for the excellent recipe!

 

[Sweet Diva MJ]

I have to admit, it has been YEARS since I have had eggplant and couldn't remember if I really liked it or not. This recipe sounded good so I thought I would give it a try. Well, come to find out - I don't really like eggplant! Fortunately my DH does -- and so does my mom, so I had them eat it and rate it for me. I didn't think I could give it a fair rating and it seemed like an excellant dish for eggplant-lovers. DH and mom just loved it, so my insticts were right! One of them rated it a 5, the other a 4 - so if it could recieve 4 1/2 stars that's what I would give it based on thier opinions... :) Prepared and reviewed for Australian/New Zealand March Recipe Swap 2008.