Eggplant rolls

Ingredients:

Eggplant Rollatini

• 3 medium eggplants (about 1.8 kg total)
• Cooking spray
• 900 g ricotta
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 0.5 tbsp. grated mozzarella
• 8 tbsp. l. grated parmesan
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 20 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 cups fresh tomato sauce, see recipe below

Simple tomato sauce

• 2 cans (900 g each) of pureed tomatoes
• 0.5 cups olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp (60 g) butter, optional

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (350°F) and a grill pan on the stovetop. Place a rack on a large baking sheet.
2. Trim the eggplants at both ends and slice them lengthwise into 1 cm thick slices. Arrange the eggplants on a wire rack. Sprinkle them with salt to remove excess water and bitterness. Let them sit for 10–15 minutes.
3. Then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Generously spray a hot grill pan with cooking spray, add the eggplant slices, and grill for 4 minutes per side, until tender and browned. Remove the cooked eggplants from the pan and let them cool.
4. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Stir in the ricotta. Add the mozzarella, 3 tablespoons of Parmesan, and pine nuts. Mix everything together and add the basil. Do not overmix.
5. Place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture on one end of the eggplant and roll it tightly into a roll. Roll the remaining eggplant slices in the same manner. Place the rollatini, seam side down, in a greased 32 x 22 cm (12 x 9 in) pan.
6. Spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the rolls. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes. Drizzle the finished rollatini with olive oil.
   
   Recipe eggplant rolls with cheese.
   
   

   Simple tomato sauce

   
   Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf and taste the sauce. If the sauce is too tart, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to soften the flavor.
   
   Pour half the tomato sauce into a food processor and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining sauce.
   
   If you don't use all the sauce at once, you can freeze it. Once completely cooled, pour the sauce into individual freezer bags. The sauce can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.