Eggplant Rollatini

Believe it or not, eggplant was the number one seller when I owned my restaurant! But I can’t take all the credit. The secret to my eggplant started in Grandma’s kitchen.

Growing up, her fried eggplant was a staple at just about every holiday. Skinless, sliced paper thin, breaded, and fried to golden perfection!

And let me tell you, we didn’t wait for dinner to enjoy it! We’d eat those crispy slices straight out of the oil. Honestly, it was a miracle any of it ever made it to the table!

When I opened my restaurant, I took Grandma’s way of preparing eggplant and turned it into my own Eggplant Rollatini. It quickly became our number one seller!

Today I’m sharing that recipe with you. It takes a little extra time, but it’s worth every minute. And if you find yourself sneaking a few slices before you even start rolling, you’re doing it right!

The recipe

Ingredients

Prep time: Approximately 30–40 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes baking, plus frying
Servings: Approximately 12 depending on eggplant size
1 large eggplant or 2 small-to-medium eggplants
Approximately 2 cups seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, plus more as needed (I use 4C brand)
4 large eggs, divided (3 for breading, 1 for ricotta)
1 container (32 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for topping
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Oil for frying
Butter for frying
Approximately 2–3 cups tomato sauce, homemade or your favorite jarred sauce

Directions

Directions
Prepare the eggplant
Peel the eggplant completely, removing all the skin.
Slice the eggplant lengthwise into very thin, almost paper-thin strips. The thinner the slices, the easier they will be to roll once cooked.
Prepare the breading station
Crack 3 eggs into a shallow dish and beat them with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Place the seasoned breadcrumbs in a second shallow dish.
Bread the eggplant
Dip each slice of eggplant into the beaten egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off.
Coat both sides of the eggplant evenly with breadcrumbs. Set the breaded slices aside while you finish preparing the rest.
Fry the eggplant
Heat oil with a little butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Fry the breaded eggplant in batches until golden brown on both sides, usually about 1–2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the slices.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire cooling rack on top. As each batch finishes frying, transfer the eggplant to the rack so the excess oil can drip off.
My tip: Don’t skip the cooling rack! It helps keep the eggplant from getting soggy while you finish frying the rest.
Prepare the ricotta filling
In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole milk ricotta, remaining egg, finely grated Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Whip everything together until smooth and well combined.
And when I say Parmesan, I mean the finely grated kind, not the thick shredded pieces that look like little sticks!
Assemble the rollatini
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Spread a layer of tomato sauce across the bottom of a baking dish.
Once the fried eggplant is cool enough to handle, lay one slice flat on a cutting board.
Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of ricotta filling onto the eggplant, then gently roll it up.
Place the rollatini seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
Continue until all the eggplant is rolled, placing each piece close together without squeezing or smashing them.
Add the sauce and bake
Spoon additional tomato sauce over the rollatini and sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered at 375°F for approximately 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the filling is hot and set in the center.
Allow the rollatini to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.