The best low-carb Eggplant Rollatini, made with thin slices of eggplant filled with a spinach and cheese ricotta filling, topped with marinara and mozzarella cheese. No frying, no breadcrumbs!
Eggplant Rollatini
This baked Eggplant Rollatini with Spinach is my favorite way to enjoy eggplant all summer long! It’s decadent, low-carb, and plant-based comfort food at its best. It’s light with no breading and no frying. I love it and think it’s better than most eggplant recipes I order at restaurants, which are typically fried and loaded with calories. You may also like this Baked Eggplant Parmesan dish.
If you’re not a fan of eggplant, I know this rollatini recipe will change your mind. 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.
What is the difference between eggplant parm and eggplant rollatini?
Eggplant parmesan typically consists of fried, breaded eggplant, topped with sauce and cheese before baking. Rollatini is similar except that the eggplant is rolled around a cheese filling before baking. My healthier version skips the breading and frying and it’s just as good!
Eggplant Rollatini Ingredients:
Here’s what is in my healthy eggplant rollatini.
- Vegetables: Eggplant, frozen spinach
- Cheese: Part-skim ricotta cheese, pecorino romano, mozzarella cheese
- Sauce: Marinara sauce
- Other: Garlic, egg, salt, and pepper
Tips for evenly slicing eggplant for rollatini:
- I recommend using a mandolin rather than a knife for thin, even eggplant strips. I use the OXO Good Grips V-Blade Mandoline (affil link).
- I prefer to use two medium eggplants so my slices all come out evenly. I save the odd-sized pieces for another recipe, like this delicious Eggplant and Tomato Sauce. But if you prefer to use one large eggplant and don’t mind all your rolls coming out different sizes, go for it.
Should I bake Eggplant Rollatini before freezing?
You can freeze rollatini before or after baking it. If you freeze it uncooked, store the rollatini in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and freeze for up to three months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. You can also freeze baked leftover rollatini in individual containers. You can either warm it in the oven or the microwave.
Variations:
- Sub the homemade marinara sauce for jarred to save time.
- Swap frozen spinach for frozen kale. You can also steam or sauté fresh spinach and squeeze out the liquid.
- If you don’t have ricotta, switch it out with cottage cheese.
- Add mushrooms for an extra vegetable.
- For extra protein, add lean ground turkey or Italian turkey sausage to the filling.
- 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.
More Eggplant Recipes:
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Eggplant Meatballs
- Baked Eggplant Sticks
- Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
- Cheesy Eggplant Gnocchi Caprese
How To Make Eggplant Rollatini
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 quick marinara sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
- 8 oz frozen spinach, heated through and squeezed well
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (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.
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