Recipe: Summer rolls, Italian style

Late summer yields a bounty of summer vegetables. Eggplant rollatini is a light and bright gratin that will put any excess eggplant to use. The eggplant is sliced in long strips and roasted. A ricotta filling is then rolled up in the strips and nestled in a marinara sauce, and the dish is gratineed in the oven. 

There are several steps to this recipe, but don't be deterred. Each step is straightforward, and this dish comes together easily. The good news is that each component can be prepared ahead, and you can assemble the dish at your leisure. A recipe for the tomato sauce is provided, but if you want a shorter step, simply use a high-quality prepared marinara or tomato-basil sauce. 

Eggplant Rollatini 

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Sauce:

▶ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

▶ 1 garlic clove, grated

▶ 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

▶ 1 (18-ounce) jar crushed Italian plum tomatoes

▶ 1/2 teaspoon sugar

▶ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Eggplant:

▶ 2 medium globe eggplants, each 12 to 16 ounces

▶ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

▶ Kosher salt

▶ Freshly ground black pepper

Cheese:

▶ 12 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, drained

▶ 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

▶ 1/4 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese

▶ 1 large egg

▶ 1 garlic clove, grated

▶ 2 to 3 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

▶ Kosher salt

▶ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Make the sauce: Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and red pepper and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt. Simmer the sauce over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. 

Spread the sauce in a 2-quart baking dish. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Trim the ends of the eggplants. Thinly slice the eggplants lengthwise, about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the eggplant in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast until tender and golden brown in spots, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Whisk the cheeses, egg, garlic, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper in a bowl. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on the base of an eggplant slice. Starting at the base, roll the eggplant up. Arrange, seam-side down, in the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices.

Top each roll with a small dollop of the remaining ricotta. Sprinkle additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the rolls. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with additional basil and serve warm.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer based in northern California. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.