There’s something about pulling a big pan of Lasagna with bubbling hot cheese and sauce out of the oven. Paired with a salad, some fresh bread and a glass of red wine it’s going to be a meal to win over any guest you have over. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good lasagna but sometimes you just want to try and add in some more veggies into your routine, especially in the new year. So, let me introduce to you my Eggplant Roll Ups!
If you’re trying to watch your carb intake, or even just want to try something new this is it! The lasagna noodles get replaced by slices of eggplant that are roasted in the oven so they become pliable and easy to roll. Plus, I love that since these are roll ups they are perfect to serve for a crowd because you don’t have to cut slices of lasagna and people can choose if they want 1,2,3 or 4!
Haven’t cooked with eggplant before? No worries! Honestly you can’t even taste the eggplant in this dish. It’s a very mild vegetable so it really just reminds me of lasagna noodles anyway with maybe just a little more of a chew. But they hold up perfectly while baking in the oven and are a sure way to sneak in veggies to even the pickiest of eaters.
What You Need
- Eggplant
- Ricotta Cheese
- Egg
- Frozen Spinach
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan Cheese
- Tomato Sauce
- Garlic
- Italian Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
- Fresh Basil for topping, optional
How to Make Eggplant Roll Ups
- Preheat oven to 400
- Slice eggplant to thin slices, about 6-7 per eggplant
- Roasted eggplant for 10-15 minutes, until soft and pliable
- Mix ricotta cheese, egg, frozen spinach, ½ cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, garlic and italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
- Spread ½ cup of tomato sauce on bottom of baking dish
- Add 2 Tbsp of mixture onto Eggplant slices, roll and place seam side down in pan.
- Top with remaining Mozzarella cheese
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more for the cheese to get golden brown and bubbly.
What to Serve with Eggplant Roll Ups
Personally I love to serve these up with a big green salad, some fresh bread and a glass of red wine. Somedays I also feel the need to go all out and add a side of pasta. It’s for the days when you want to be healthy but then realize you sometimes just need all the things.
Eggplant Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 2 Eggplants large
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Egg large
- 9 oz Frozen Spinach
- 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup Tomato Sauce
- 1 Garlic Clove minced
- 1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Fresh Basil for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Slice eggplant to thin slices, about 6-7 per eggplant
- Roasted eggplant for 10-15 minutes, until soft and pliable
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Mix ricotta cheese, egg, frozen spinach, ½ cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, garlic and italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
- Spread ½ cup of tomato sauce on bottom of baking dish
- Add 2 Tbsp of mixture onto Eggplant slices, roll and place seam side down in pan
- Top with remaining Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella cheese
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more for the cheese to get golden brown and bubbly
- Top with Fresh Basil if using and enjoy!
Do you drain your egg plant at all before cooking? Cut them and put salt on it to draw out the excess water and then pat dry?
For this one I did not! it seemed to be ok as well since you cook the eggplant first and then roll with all the other ingredients too!