Eggplant Rollatini

Eggplant Rollatini features tender slices of eggplant all rolled up with the perfect amount of marinara sauce and three different cheeses! This meatless dinner always hits the spot and leaves you feeling nice and full. You’ll love this easy, cheesy baked entree!

This recipe may be meatless, but don’t worry – even the proudest carnivores won’t be missing it! Strips of eggplant are all dressed up with plenty of cheese and marinara sauce before being baked to absolute perfection. It’s a vegetarian recipe that is seriously satisfying! Trust me, no one’s leaving the table still hungry after a serving of eggplant rollatini.

While this recipe definitely falls into the easy weeknight dinner category, it’s also a huge hit at potlucks! I think anytime you bake something cheesy in a casserole dish, it’s bound to be popular with a crowd. Speaking of cheesy – this baked eggplant rollatini features ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese! All three work in tandem to make each bite more decadent than the last.

Why You’ll Love This

• Meatless. If you’re a vegetarian or just looking for something to serve on a meatless Monday, this is the recipe for you! While you may be skipping out on meat, you won’t be skipping out on flavor or heartiness.
• Easier than you think. I know, it can be intimidating to see rolled up eggplant slices. What if they unroll? What if they break apart? Don’t worry! I’ve included plenty of little tips and tricks to help you get the very best results every time.
• Hidden veggies. Well, I suppose the eggplant isn’t all that hidden. However, it blends in perfectly with the marinara sauce and cheese! Even the pickiest eaters won’t mind getting their veggie fix with this recipe.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make baked eggplant rollatini. Make sure to scroll down to view the full recipe for exact measurements.

• Eggplants
• Kosher salt
• Whole milk ricotta cheese
• Egg
• Parmesan cheese
• Whole milk mozzarella cheese
• Garlic
• Black pepper
• Marinara sauce
• Fresh basil

How To Make Eggplant Rollatini

Here is a general overview of the steps involved to make eggplant rollatini. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

Prepare. Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray.

Slice and salt the eggplant. Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch thick slices lengthwise. Place the slices on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Sprinkle salt on both sides and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then, take a paper towel and gently dab the liquid off and brush off the excess salt.

Bake the slices. Bake eggplant slices on the same wire rack and baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Make the cheese mixture. Mix together ricotta, egg, ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, ½ cup of mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

Add marinara. Take half of the marinara sauce and spread it evenly at the bottom of the casserole dish.

Roll the eggplant. Once the eggplant slices are cooled, take about 2 TBSP of the ricotta filling and put it at the longer end of the eggplant slice. Gently roll the eggplant slice and place it seam side down in the casserole dish. Repeat until all eggplant slices have been rolled.

Add more marinara. Top with rolled eggplant with the remaining marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.

Bake. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Then, uncover and bake for another 10 minutes to get the best browned top.

Enjoy! Let the eggplant rollatini cool for a few minutes, then garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Recipe Tips, Substitutions, and Variations

Here’s how to get the very best eggplant rollatini every single time!

• Use a mandolin. If you are afraid that you won’t be able to uniformly slice the eggplant all the same thickness or if you don’t think your knife skills will allow you to slice the eggplant thinly, use a mandolin! Be sure to use the hand guard.
• Don’t skip the salt! Salting the eggplant slices is what draws out the moisture. Moist eggplant slices = soggy slices, so don’t skip this step! Also, remember to use a paper towel to dab off the excess salt before baking the eggplant to avoid an overly salty taste.
• Use your favorite marinara. It pays to be picky. Choose a marinara sauce you already know and love. That way, you know you’ll like the final result of the dish. My favorite is either Trader Joe’s organic tomato basil marinara and Rao’s marinara sauce. I’ve also gotten wild and did half marinara and half arrabiatta too.
• Garnish with fresh basil. This is an optional but highly recommended final touch! Fresh basil adds just the right amount of fresh flavor to this hearty meal.
• Add sausage. If you want more heft to this casserole, adding in fresh Italian sausage into the cheese mixture would be one way to do it! If you’re trying to keep it meatless, there are meatless sausage options as well. Just make sure to break up the sausage into smaller pieces when cooking on the stovetop.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Once everything cools to room temperature, you can store any leftovers you may have in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed through.

What to Serve with Eggplant Rollatini

Serve this cheesy dinner with a side like roasted parmesan broccoli or garlic roasted green beans! Of course, you can really seal the deal on your Italian-inspired dinner with my favorite tiramisu recipe. Sop up all the sauce with some Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls too!

Love eggplant? Try some other eggplant recipes!

• Eggplant Tofu
• Eggplant Parmesan Fries
• Eggplant Parmesan
• Pumpkin Eggplant Parmesan Casserole
• Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich