Eggplant Rolls

Eggplant rolls are a delicious Italian appetizer or main course. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• 200 g of fresh ricotta
• 100 g of cooked ham
• 100 g of grated cheese (such as Parmesan or Pecorino)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh basil leaves
• Tomato puree or peeled tomatoes (optional for a richer variant)

Preparation

1. Wash the eggplants, cut them into longitudinal slices about 5 mm thick and grill them on a hot plate or in the oven until they become soft and slightly golden.
2. While the eggplants cool down, prepare the filling by mixing the ricotta with the grated cheese, the diced cooked ham, salt, pepper, and some torn basil leaves with your hands. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste.
3. Take a slice of eggplant, lay a portion of filling on one end, and roll it up to form a roll.
4. If you prefer, you can arrange the rolls in an oiled baking dish, cover them with tomato puree or peeled tomatoes, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 180 °C, until the cheese is well gratinated and the rolls are hot.
5. Serve the eggplant rolls warm or at room temperature, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Interesting facts

Eggplant rolls can be customized in many ways. Some variations include adding capers, olives, or other cheeses such as scamorza to the ricotta mixture. Moreover, for a completely vegetarian version, you can exclude the cooked ham and enrich the filling with grilled vegetables or chopped nuts.