Italian Eggplant Casserole
Submitted by fishinfool
Breaded eggplant slices rolled around a ricotta and mozzarella filling, then baked in homemade tomato sauce with Parmesan. A vegetarian Italian casserole with golden, crispy edges.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThink eggplant rollatini meets comfort-food casserole. Thin eggplant slices get dipped in egg wash, coated in bread crumbs, and sauteed until golden before being rolled around a ricotta and shredded mozzarella filling.
The tomato sauce here is simple on purpose. Onions, garlic, basil, and a pinch of sugar simmered for 20 minutes give you just enough brightness to cut through the richness of three cheeses without competing with the eggplant.
Slicing the eggplant lengthwise is a must. Thin, even slices (about ¼ inch) are pliable enough to roll without cracking. Too thick and they’ll split open in the pan.
Once rolled, the bundles go seam-side down into the sauce, get topped with more sauce and freshly grated Parmesan, and bake until bubbling.
Pro Tips
- Salt your eggplant slices and let them sit for 15 minutes before breading. This draws out moisture so they fry crispier and absorb less oil.
- Don’t skip the sugar in the sauce. Even half a teaspoon balances the acidity of the tomato sauce and rounds out the flavor.
- Let the casserole rest 10 minutes after baking. The cheese filling sets up and the rolls hold their shape when you plate them.
Variations
- Use zucchini slices in place of eggplant for a lighter version that skips the breading step entirely.
- Stir chopped fresh spinach into the ricotta filling for extra color and an earthy contrast.
- Swap mozzarella for smoked provolone if you want a sharper, more assertive cheese flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large skillet, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until tender.
In a sauce pan combine the cooked onions and garlic with the tomato sauce, basil, sugar and pepper.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, pare the eggplant and slice it lengthwise into thin slices (about ¼ inch thick).
In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with the milk.
Put the bread crumbs in a second shallow bowl. Dip each piece of eggplant into the egg-milk mixture and then coat with the crumbs.
Place the coated pieces on a rack.
Add the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil to the skillet used to sauté the onions and garlic.
Heat the oil and sauté the eggplant pieces until they are golden brown.
Put about ⅓ of the sauce into a 8-inch square baking pan.
Shred the mozzarella cheese and mix it with the ricotta.
Put a generous teaspoonful of the cheese mixture in the middle of each eggplant slice and roll up.
Place with seam side down in the tomato sauce in the pan.
Cover with the tomato sauce and sprinkle the top with grated Parmesan.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 30 minutes.
YIELD: serves 6
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