This is the best, low-carb eggplant rollatini, made with thin-sliced eggplant filled with spinach and cheese, topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. No frying, no breadcrumbs!
Eggplant Rollatini Recipe
This baked eggplant rollatini filled with spinach-ricotta filling is my favorite way to enjoy eggplant all summer long! It’s decadent yet low-carb, and a delicious vegetarian comfort food meal for weeknights or entertaining. I love that it’s so light and satisfying, with no breading and no deep-frying. For more eggplant recipes, you may also like this Baked Eggplant Parmesan or these Breaded Eggplant Fries.
Eggplant Rollatini Is a Favorite Summer Dish
The eggplant is sliced so thin (I used my mandolin for perfectly even slices) that it melts in your mouth once baked. Since eggplants aren’t all the exact same size, start checking it for doneness after it’s baked for 45 minutes. This rollatini recipe is:
- Low in carbs: There’s zero breading or frying.
- Great for entertaining: I bake a big batch of these whenever we gather in the summer. Like Lasagna Roll-ups, saucy eggplant rollatini go wonderfully with a side of garlic bread.
- Vegetarian: This recipe is almost entirely made of vegetables!
If you’re not the biggest fan of eggplant, I think this eggplant rollatini recipe will change your mind! Also, try my Zucchini Rollatini and Chicken Rollatini recipes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This eggplant rollatini recipe uses just a few ingredients! See recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Eggplant – Fresh eggplant, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices. Choose medium-sized eggplants that are heavy for their size.
- Marinara sauce – This can be a jar of store-bought or your favorite homemade marinara or this 3-ingredient Tomato Sauce.
- Egg – Like in lasagna recipes, egg acts as a binder for the cheese filling.
- Cheese – I use a combination of part-skim ricotta cheese, grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan), and shredded mozzarella cheese in this recipe.
- Frozen spinach – Thawed and heated through. You could also sauté fresh spinach so it’s wilted. Either way, squeeze out any excess moisture before you mix it with the filling.
- Garlic – Freshly minced.
Salt the Eggplant to Draw Out Moisture
As-is, fresh eggplant contains a lot of moisture and a bit of bitterness. To remedy this, after you’ve thinly sliced the eggplant, sprinkle it on both sides with kosher salt. Set the eggplant aside for 10-15 minutes. Afterward, pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. This step draws out the excess moisture for a less watery, more flavorful eggplant rollatini.
How To Make Eggplant Rollatini
The beauty of eggplant rollatini is that it’s easier to make and lighter than, say, a traditional lasagna, but it shares many of the same delicious, savory, cheesy flavors. See the recipe card for the printable step-by-step instructions.
- Prepare the eggplant. Start by thinly slicing the eggplant, then follow the step above to salt it to draw out extra moisture. Afterward, pat dry the eggplant and season the slices with salt and pepper.
- Bake. Arrange the eggplant on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover the pans with foil and bake at 400ºF for 8-10 minutes. The eggplant should be soft and bendable, but not fully cooked. Meanwhile, spread ¼ cup of marinara into the bottom of a 13×9‑inch baking dish.
- Make the cheese filling. Next, whisk the egg with ricotta, Pecorino Romano, cooked and drained spinach, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble the rollatini. Pat the eggplant dry again. Then, spread a couple of spoonfuls of the spinach ricotta filling at one end of each slice. Roll the eggplant around the filling and place the rollatini seam-side down on top of the tomato sauce in your baking dish.
- Bake. Once your rollatini are all in the dish, pour on the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle the top with shredded mozzarella. Cover the pan with foil, and bake at 400ºF until eggplant is very tender, about 60 minutes. Let the eggplant rollatini rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Different greens. Swap frozen spinach for frozen kale. You can also steam or sauté fresh spinach and squeeze out the liquid.
- Substitute the ricotta. For more protein, or if ricotta cheese isn’t available, swap out the ricotta for cottage cheese.
- Layer instead. If you don’t want to roll and stuff the eggplant, you could lay the slices flat and layer them with the cheese mixture for a low-carb lasagna.
Can I Freeze Eggplant Rollatini?
It’s best to freeze these rollatini after baking, as frozen raw eggplant can become slimy once it’s thawed. Freeze baked leftover rollatini in individual containers for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating it in the oven or the microwave.
More Eggplant Recipes You’ll Love
Eggplant Rollatini
Equipment
- 1 13 x 9-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 medium Italian eggplants, cut lengthwise into 10 (1/4-inch thick) slices (21 oz total when sliced)
- kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, or my 3-ingredient tomato sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, or Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for serving
- 8 ounces frozen spinach, heated through and squeezed well
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup part-skim mozzarella, shredded (I like Polly-O) 4 oz total
Instructions
- Cut the 2 ends off the eggplants. Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slices until you have a total of 10 slices about the same size. It's easiest to do this with a mandolin.
- Sprinkle the eggplant with kosher salt to help remove excess moisture and bitterness from the eggplants. Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes. Pat dry with a towel.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Season the eggplant with a little more salt and pepper, then arrange on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover tightly with foil and bake until eggplant is tender and pliable but NOT fully cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg then mix together with ricotta, Pecorino Romano, spinach, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.
- Pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Dividing the ricotta-spinach mixture (about 2 generous tablespoons each) evenly and spoon onto one end of each eggplant slice, spreading to cover. Starting at the short end, roll up slices and arrange them each seam side down in the prepared dish. Top with remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and tightly cover with foil.
- Bake until the eggplant is very tender, about 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving with additional Pecorino Romano if desired.
Last Step:
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