Kitchen Wisdom Gluten Free Eggplant Rollatini have robust flavor which make your guests beg for more!  This is a wonderful meal for a gathering of family and friends.  The textural layers of the rolled eggplant with two types of cheese in its center, surprises and delights the palate. Serve with vegetable and a salad.  Everyone will enjoy, Happy Cooking!

Yields 2-3 servings

2  long slender Asian Eggplants, or 1 small American Globe Eggplant

2-3  Tablespoons  gluten free Cici (Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean)  flour

Olive oil for frying

1  cup  Ricotta

6  ounces  shredded Mozzerella

2  tablespoons grated cheese (like locatelli)

1 ½  cups Tomato Sauce

Prepare & Press the Eggplant:  Press the Eggplant (Remove Bitters from the Eggplant):  If you use a small Asian eggplant – this step is unnecessary.  If you use a standard American Globe Eggplant, this step is absolutely necessary.  Slice eggplant to ¼ of an inch thickness.

Place large colander in sink.  Line eggplant in colander in this way:  a few at the bottom, lightly salt, a few more, lightly salt – until you have used up all the eggplant.

Place a plate with weight at the top and allow eggplant’s bitters to press out.  Leave for an hour or more.

Remove dish, use paper towel to soak up brownish liquid (the bitters).

Place all flat on paper towel and place aside until ready to fry.

Dredge the Eggplant:

Place 3 tablespoons of cici (chickpea) flour in a shallow bowl.  One slice of eggplant at a time, dredge eggplant slice through the flour on both sides, shake off excess, place in prepared hot fry pan.

Frying the Eggplant:  add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a well heated fry pan.  Use little oil, the eggplant soak up oil like a sponge.  Manage heat and have them cook with as little additional oil as possible.  Don’t let oil smoke.  Cook eggplant slices no more than 2-3 minutes on each side on medium heat.

 

Remove to paper towel to soak up any residual oil.  Eggplant can cool to room temperature.  At this point, you can store eggplant in sealed container for a day or two if you would like to prepare the rollatini later, or just place aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Ladle a small amount of tomato sauce to completely cover bottom of baking dish.

Ricotta Mixture:  Add ricotta, grated cheese and 3.5 ounces of the mozzarella in a bowl and mix with spoon until well combined.

 

     

Create the Rollatini:  Lay cooled fried eggplant slice flat on plate, place 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture into center of eggplant, sprinkle top of ricotta mixture with a few shards of shredded mozzarella.  Gently roll & slightly tuck the filled eggplant slice, begin from the small end and gently fold into the larger end.

Place end upside down in baking dish previously ladled with thin layer of tomato sauce.  Repeat these steps until all eggplant slices are tucked into baking dish.

Ladle a few tablespoons of sauce over each rollatini.  Sprinkle with remaining shredded mozzarella.

Cover and bake in center of oven for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let Eggplant Rollatini set by allowing it to sit and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

“Eggplant Rollatini” by Liz Conforti, Kitchen Wisdom Gluten Free(c) 2014

 Serve with other Kitchen Wisdom Gluten Free Recipes:

Meatballs

Spinach with Garlic & Olive Oil

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