Eggplant Rollups Recipe

Servings: 6-8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 ½ hours

for the marinara sauce:
¼ cup|60 ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce|794-gram) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the eggplant roll-ups:
1 pound|454 grams ricotta
8 ounces|227 grams shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup|118 ml olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
2 large eggs, beaten
2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick lengthwise
2 cups|473 ml marinara sauce
grated parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Make the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the garlic and onion and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and sugar. Cook until thick, 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Set the marinara sauce aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with half of the mozzarella and 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Place the flour and eggs in 2 separate shallow dishes. Working with one piece of eggplant at a time, dredge the eggplant in the flour and then the eggs. Fry the eggplant, flipping once, until golden, 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and season with salt. Repeat with remaining pieces of eggplant.
4. Heat the oven to 375°F. Place 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Working with one piece of eggplant at a time, place about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture at one end of each piece of eggplant. Roll the eggplant up and place, seam-side down, in the casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and cheeses. Top with the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with more parsley and parmesan cheese to serve.

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