Eggplant Involtini

Eggplant is most certainly one of my favorite vegetables. While I love any Italian dish with eggplant like Eggplant Baked Ziti, a fun Mediterranean vegetarian stuffed eggplant, or a classic like Turkish Stuffed Eggplant, transforming eggplant into involtini is quick, easy, and delicious.

Interested in more ways to roast eggplant? You should definitely try Whole Roasted Eggplant, Fire Roasted Eggplant, and Roasted Eggplant Halves.

Why Should You Try This Recipe?

Eggplant and ricotta are a match made in heaven – and for good reason. An America’s Test Kitchen recipe that stood the test of time, I make this easy vegetarian recipe during the eggplant season. I know you will love it because:

• Healthy and satisfying: Baking eggplant slices in the oven cuts down on prep time (and all the unwanted fat and calories from frying) and allows the meaty texture of eggplant to shine.
• A feast for eyes: I always make this involtini recipe when I am entertaining. It’s one of those dishes that make people swoon as soon as you place it in the middle of the table. First, the smell hits them, and then the beauty of rolled eggplant with ricotta cheese simmering in tomato sauce.
• Hearty and vegetarian: I love a vegetarian meal that can stand up on its own. Serve it with a crisp green salad such as my Spring Mix Salad or Butter Lettuce Salad on the side for a summery feel.

Ingredients

This is an Italian-style eggplant recipe that relies on just a handful of fresh and flavorful ingredients that you probably have in your fridge/pantry.

For the eggplant, you will need two large eggplants, olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.

To make the filling, gather together ricotta cheese, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

For the tomato sauce, you will need olive oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, canned diced tomatoes, and fresh basil.

How to Make

The simplicity of this eggplant stuffed with ricotta really brings the eggplant into focus. Here’s how to make it:

Step 1: Bake Eggplant

Below are the basic steps to precook the eggplant slices for this recipe. However, if you wish to learn more about it, be sure to check my detailed post on Baked Eggplant Slices.

1. Prep equipment: Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Set up two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Slice the eggplants: Cut the stem end off, then peel each eggplant with a vegetable peeler. Slice eggplant lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices. Trim the rounded ends for even cooking.
3. Coat with olive oil: Brush eggplant slices with olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
4. Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender and soft to touch. Flip the eggplant slices and switch and rotate the sheets halfway through baking. 

Step 2: Prepare The Ricotta Filling

Mix all ingredients: Combine ricotta cheese, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, chopped fresh basil, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

Step 3: Make the Tomato Sauce

1. Saute aromatics and seasonings: In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, add olive oil and heat for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Cook tomatoes: Stir in the canned diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat, until thickened for about 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Add basil: Once tomatoes have thickened, add the chopped basil, give it a large stir and turn off the heat.

Step 4: Assembly

1. Roll the eggplant: Evenly distribute the ricotta cheese mixture onto the widest end of each eggplant slice (bottom third of each slice). Then, gently roll eggplant slices with your hands. Place seam side down, in the pan with the tomato sauce.
2. Simmer, then broil: Once all the eggplant slices are in the pan, bring it back up to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, then broil for 5 more minutes in the oven.
3. Finish and serve: Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese and chopped basil. When serving, place a rolled eggplant on a plate and spoon tomato sauce over. 

How to Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Reheat?

The eggplant rollatini will keep stored to enjoy later in the week. It can also be made ahead. Here’s how I like to do it:

• Make-Ahead: You can make the whole recipe, until the last broil, bring to room temperature, cover it tightly with stretch film, and keep it in the refrigerator a day in advance. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and reheat it for about 15 minutes or until thoroughly warmed. Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese right before serving.
• Store: Transfer the ricotta eggplant rolls to a large container, big enough to fit them in a single layer. Seal tight and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat: Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish, Reheat, covered, in a 350-degree F oven for 10-15 minutes. Or, reheat 1-2 pieces in the microwave in 30-second to 1-minute increments, until warmed through.
• Freeze: Prepare as directed, then cool completely. Transfer to a freezer-safe and oven-safe casserole dish. Cover it tightly with stretch film (and/or aluminum foil) to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 1 month.
• Reheat: Bake right from frozen, covered with aluminum foil, in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through.

Expert Tips

• Use a 10-inch oven-proof skillet. This makes it easier to transfer from stovetop to oven. Alternatively, if you do not oven an oven-proof skillet, spread the tomato sauce at the bottom of a baking dish, nestle the rolled eggplant into the sauce, and bake in the oven.
• Sweating eggplants: As you can see in the recipe below, I did not salt the eggplants as I was making this baked stuffed eggplant recipe during the eggplant season. However, if you prefer salting yours, feel free to do so before baking the eggplant slices in the oven. If you are new to it, be sure to check out my guide on How To Prepare and Salt eggplant before cooking.
• Not a fan of broiling? Alternatively, you can place the skillet in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.

FAQs

Want more Italian Comfort Food?

Here are a few more Italian dishes that you might also like:

• Bread Dipping Oil – Italian Restaurant Style
• Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad
• Pizza Caprese
• Pesto Salad Dressing
• Crispy Baked Breaded Eggplant

If you try this Eggplant Involtini recipe or any other eggplant recipes on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.

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Eggplant Involtini Recipe

By Aysegul Sanford

Yields: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

This eggplant involtini recipe is made by rolling slices of oven-baked eggplant with basil-ricotta mixture and baking it in a homemade tomato sauce. Serve it as a vegetarian main course or as a side dish to accompany any meat dishes. Either way, it is easy-to-make and delicious.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For Baked Eggplant Slices

• ▢ 2 globe eggplants each approximately 1 to 1/2 half lbs.*
• ▢ 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ Kosher Salt and Pepper

For Ricotta Mixture

• ▢ 1 cup homemade ricotta cheese or full fat store bought ricotta cheese
• ▢ 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Or Pecorino Romano cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed

For Tomato Sauce

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 3 cloves of garlic minced
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• ▢ Pinch of red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 can diced tomatoes 28 oz of can
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh basil loosly packed and roughly chopped

As Garnish

• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh basil roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

To prepare eggplant:

• Pre-heat your oven to 400 F Degrees.
• Peel the eggplants. Cut them lengthwise into 6 slices. Each slice should be about 1/2 inch thick. Trim the rounded ends so that they will lay flat.
• Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray them generously with cooking spray. Place 6 eggplant slices on each baking sheet.
• Start with the first baking sheet. Brush each eggplant slice with two and a half tablespoons of olive oil (you use the 2 1/2 tbs olive oil to brush all of the slices) and season it with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Flip each slice and do the same thing for the other side. Repeat the same process for the second baking sheet.
• Place both sheets in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they are tender and lightly browned. To ensure even baking, flip eggplant slices and switch and rotate sheets halfway through the baking process.
• When eggplants are baked, let them cool for 5 minutes.

To make the filling:

• Place 1 cup of homemade ricotta cheese (or full-fat supermarket ricotta cheese), 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until they are all combined. Set aside.

To make the tomato sauce:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet (I used a 10-inch skillet). Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, on medium-low heat, until it thickens, 12-15 minutes.
• At the very end, add the chopped basil, give it a large stir, cover, and set aside.

To assemble:

• With the widest side of the eggplant slices facing you, evenly distribute approximately 1 1/2 to 2 tabelspoons of ricotta mixture onto each slice. Starting from the widest end, gently roll each piece and place it, seamed side down, in the pan with the tomato sauce.
• Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes.
• Turn the broiler on, place it in the oven, and broil* for 5 minutes until the eggplants and cheese are warmed thoroughly.

To finish:

• Sprinkle it with 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil.
• When ready to serve, place a few eggplant rolls onto a plate and spoon a generous amount of tomato sauce over it.

Video

Notes

• When you are shopping for eggplants I recommend buying shorter and wider ones that are similar in size. I also recommend making sure that they are sliced around 1/2-inch thick, which should give you 5-6 slices per eggplant.
• Sweating eggplants: As you can see in the recipe, I did not salt the eggplants as I was making this recipe during the eggplant season. However, if you prefer salting yours, feel free to do so before baking the eggplant slices in the oven. If you are new to it, be sure to check out my guide on How To Prepare and Salt eggplant before cooking.
• Not a fan of broiling? Alternatively, you can place the skillet in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 641mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 404IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 376mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

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Recipe adapted (with minor changes) from Cook’s Illustrated magazine, June 2014 edition.

This post was originally published in July 2014. It has been updated with new photos and helpful information in April 2022.