Dining Detour

My parents have upped their garden game this summer, and are starting to grow vegetables at an alarming rate. So far, I have been the beneficiary of eggplant, summer squash, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes. Sadly, with no outdoor space of my own, the only thing I grow is basil…in my windowsill. Actually not totally true – I also have a geranium that has been hanging on for dear life for close to five years.

So, I wanted to give special treatment to my first home grown eggplant of the summer, so I went with this recipe, and it lived up to my expectations.

Baked Eggplant Rolantini recipe: adaption from epicurious

Ingredients

• Nonstick olive oil spray
• All purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2  cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 9 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick lengthwise eggplant slices (from 1 medium)
• 1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1  cups ricotta cheese I used skim
• handful of chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 cups purchased marinara sauce

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray. Set up breading station; Place flour on plate, eggs in a bowl, and breadcrumbs mixed with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese on another plate. Sprinkle each eggplant slice with salt and pepper. Coat each slice with flour, then beaten egg, and finally breadcrumb mixture. Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on prepared sheets. Bake eggplant until coating is golden, turning after 15 minutes, about 30 minutes total.

Heat pre-made marinara sauce over low flame. Mix mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, basil, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Season filling with salt and pepper. Divide filling among eggplant slices (about 3 tablespoons per slice); spread evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up eggplant slices, enclosing filling. Add a few spoonfulls of the warm marinara sauce to coat bottom of a baking dish. Arrange rolls, seam side down, in baking dish.

Spoon marinara sauce over rolls; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered in 350°F oven until rollatini are heated through and mozzarella cheese melts, about 30 minutes. Broil for 2 minutes, to get the top crispy.

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