_ Rollatini Or Involtini Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the grill pan and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place a rack over a large baking sheet. Cut the 2 ends off the eggplant. Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange eggplant slices onto rack. Sprinkle with sea salt to help remove excess moisture and any bitterness from the eggplants. Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse off the salt from the eggplants and pat dry with a towel. Spray hot grill pan liberally with vegetable spray and then place eggplant slices on the grill until lightly browned on each side and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Remove slices from the grill pan and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until lightly scrambled. Mix the ricotta in with the egg. Add mozzarella, 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts and gently combine. Fold in basil just to combine. Do not overmix.
• Place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture on 1 end of the eggplant and roll up tightly. Place the eggplant rollatini into a greased (with olive oil) 13 by 9-inch baking dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining eggplant. Evenly distribute the tomato sauce on top of the eggplant rollatini. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 5 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes. When cooked, drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim the ends off of the zucchini and slice lengthwise on a mandoline to about 1/8-inch thick. Reserve the 16 largest interior slices for this dish and save the rest for another use.
• Fill a medium ovenproof skillet with lightly salted water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add half of the zucchini slices and cook until just pliable, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined platter to dry. Repeat with the remaining zucchini slices.
• Stir the ricotta, basil, oregano, lemon zest and 3/4 cup mozzarella together in a bowl with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat the egg well in another bowl, then add 1 tablespoon egg to the ricotta mixture and stir to incorporate. (Discard the remaining egg.)
• Pour the water out from the skillet and add the marinara. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
• While the sauce warms, lay the dry zucchini slices out on a work surface. Spoon a scant tablespoon of the ricotta filling on one end of a zucchini slice, then gently roll the zucchini up. Arrange in the skillet seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining zucchini slices and ricotta filling.
• Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and bake until the center is bubbling and the cheese is golden in spots, 20 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise into fifteen 1/8-in.-thick slices. Place in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with salt and toss. Let stand 30 minutes., Meanwhile, for sauce, in a large saucepan, saute onion in oil. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until flavors are blended, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes. Rinse and drain eggplant., In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients; set aside., Place eggs in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Dip eggplant in eggs, then bread crumb mixture., In an electric skillet or deep skillet, heat 1/2 in. of oil to 375°. Fry eggplant in batches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels., Preheat oven to 375°. Spoon 1 cup sauce into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Spread 2 rounded tablespoons filling over each eggplant slice. Carefully roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over roll-ups. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake until bubbly, 30-35 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.
• Arrange the eggplant in an even layer on two sheet pans. Brush both sides with 6 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until lightly golden brown and very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. (The eggplant can be cooked up to 1 day in advance, cooled and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.) Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚ F.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes with their juices and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Crush the tomatoes with a potato masher. Add the chile paste and basil and cook the sauce until it thickens, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make the filling: Mix together the ricotta, egg, diced mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Pecorino in a medium bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the parsley and oregano.
• Ladle 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling over each eggplant slice. Carefully roll up and place them, seam-side down, in the baking dish. Once all the eggplant rolls are in the dish, ladle another cup of the sauce evenly over them and sprinkle the grated mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino over the top.
• Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted and turned lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and garnish with torn basil, if desired.
• Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the anchovies and cook until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add the panko and spread into an even layer. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the crumbs, press them into an even layer again and cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes longer. Add the lemon zest and season with pepper and more salt, if desired.
• Spread on a large plate or sheet pan and let cool. Store, tightly covered, in a cool, dry place for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Re-crisp in a dry skillet over low heat before using.

Steps:

• For the breading: In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
• For the filling: In a large bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of Parmesan, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup olive oil, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cut the steaks in half crosswise and place on a work surface. Spread the mixture evenly over the steaks. Roll up the steaks and secure with skewers.
• In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil over medium heat. Roll the steaks in the bread crumb mixture until coated and add to the skillet. Cook the steaks until brown on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the marinara sauce to the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer, turning occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes for medium-well.
• Remove the skewers, place the steaks on a cutting board and slice thinly. Arrange the steak slices on plates and serve with the marinara sauce.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, fry eggplant slices in olive oil until eggplant is flexible for rolling, about 3 minutes per side. (Eggplant can also be roasted in the oven: Brush slices with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast in 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping eggplant halfway through cooking.)
• While eggplant is frying/baking, make filling: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of fresh ricotta, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of fresh shredded mozzarella, 1 egg white, salt and pepper, and mix well.
• Drain eggplant on paper towel if fried. When eggplant has cooled about 10 minutes, begin the rolling process. On each slice, put about 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese mixture. Spread it on the eggplant. Next, place a slice of ham/prosciutto on top of the cheese, if using, and then roll. Repeat with all eggplant slices.
• Coat the bottom of a deep baking dish with tomato sauce. Start placing the rolled eggplants at the bottom of the pan. When pan is filled, put some sauce on the top of the eggplant. Sprinkle some more grated cheese on top. Finally, cut slices of fresh mozzarella cheese to place on top of each rollatini.
• Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes. (If the eggplant was baked, 30 minutes is better.) The cheese should be melted and a little bubbling should be going on. Serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a ridged cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and cook, turning, until soft and (if using a ridged pan) crisscrossed with grid marks. Set aside and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine feta, pine nuts, raisins, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, bread crumbs, garlic, lemon zest, mint and parsley. Mix in egg, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread eggplant slices on a surface, and divide stuffing evenly among them, placing 1 to 2 tablespoons at one end of each slice. Roll up slices tightly to secure filling, and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or other shallow baking pan in which rolls fit snugly in a single layer).
• Pour crushed tomatoes on top of eggplant rolls. Arrange mozzarella slices in a line lengthwise down center of pan. Drizzle olive oil evenly over pan, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bake until cheese has melted and eggplant is bubbling and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.