Eggplant Rollatini – The Easy Way – Gluten Free

We really like Eggplant Rollatini! If you’ve ever had it I bet that you do too. Gammy grew up on a farm in Texas and had never heard of it.

Not long after we were married I asked her if she had ever had any and she said, “No, but, let me guess. You play soccer with an eggplant on the kitchen floor while supper is getting ready?”

She can be a real smart ass. One of the many reasons why I love her.

This one takes a little more than my usual 30 minute limit to get it done. But, the time in the oven you can do something else while your Eggplant Rollatini gets ready to serve.

There are a lot of different things that can be added to the ricotta cheese. We like it this way but you could reduce the prep time even more by using slices of prosciutto instead of cooking up the sausage. After trying lots of different ways over the years this is our favorite.

Put a large skillet on at medium high and eyeball just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. The sausage is going to add some oil to the pan as it cooks so you can go lighter than usual with the olive oil. Set the oven at 350°F.

If you would like to look at some more of  our eggplant recipes Click Here

Slice up the sausage and add it to the skillet. Flip or toss  occasionally as it cooks.

Chop up the onion.

and add it to the skillet. Continue the occasional tossing or flipping as the onion cooks along with the sausage. I got a little adventurous and added some chopped up basil leaves to the skillet and mixed it in just before it was all done.

While the skillet is doing its job rinse off the eggplant. Cut the ends off and slice it lengthwise in as thin slices as possible. Don’t peel the eggplant and don’t cook the thin slices.

Put the ricotta cheese in a bowl big enough to handle the ricotta and the addition of the sausage and onion.

When the sausage has cooked and the onion pieces are translucent remove them to a paper towel lined dish and let the oil drain off.

Then mix it in with the ricotta cheese.

Put a thin coating of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Take a slice of eggplant and lay it flat. Put a couple spoons of the ricotta mixture on it and roll it up. Put it in the baking dish with the seam on the bottom. When the dish is full spoon some sauce on the rolls and top it all with some grated mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little dried basil on top and lightly drizzle a little olive oil on it.

Into the oven for 10 – 15 minutes. It will be ready when the liquid in the bottom of the baking dish has been bubbling for a couple of minutes.

Then serve up your Eggplant Rollatini!

We had some tossed caprice salad with olives and sliced zucchini added as the veggie.

A bottle of Barbera d Asti went along real nice.

I always make more than the two of us need so that we have the leftovers for a fast nuke it no brainer weeknight supper. Just put them in zip locks in the freezer.

And, if you wind up with more of the ricotta mixture than you need for the available eggplant slices ( I almost always do) it goes great mixed in with some pasta after the pasta is cooked and still hot.

For gluten free you could use Gluten free pasta or a potato for the carb.

Eggplant Rollatini - The Easy Way - Gluten Free

Course: Main Course, Main Course, Gluten Free, Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: gluten free, Italian Sausage, main course, Mediterranean Diet, quick and easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 5 links Italian sausage hot or mild - your choice
• 1 medium size onion chopped
• 1 Cup chopped fresh basil leaves chopped - optional
• 16 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1 large eggplant or 2 medium size
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried basil

Instructions

• Put a large skillet on at medium high and and eyeball just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. The sausage is going to add some oil to the pan as it cooks so you can go lighter than usual with the olive oil. Set the oven at 350°F. Slice up the sausage and add it to the skillet. Flip or toss  occasionally as it cooks.
• Chop up the onion.and add it to the skillet. Continue the occasional tossing or flipping as the onion cooks along with the sausage. I got a little adventurous and added some chopped up basil leaves to the skillet and mixed it in just before it was all done.
• While the skillet is doing its job rinse off the eggplant. Cut the ends off and slice it lengthwise in as thin slices as possible. Don't peel the eggplant and don't cook the thin slices. Put the ricotta cheese in a bowl big enough to handle the ricotta and the addition of the sausage and onion. When the sausage has cooked and the onion pieces are translucent remove them to a paper towel lined dish and let the oil drain off.
• Then mix it in with the ricotta cheese. Put a thin coating of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Take a slice of eggplant and lay it flat. Put a couple tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on it and roll it up. Put it in the baking dish with the seam on the bottom. When the dish is full spoon some sauce on the rolls and top it all with some grated mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little dried basil on top and lightly drizzle a little olive oil on it.
• Into the oven for 10 - 15 minutes. It will be ready when the liquid in the bottom of the baking dish has been bubbling for a couple of minutes. Then serve it up!