Eggplant Rollatini

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Eggplant rollatini is one of my favorite easy, healthy dinners in the summertime — and if you like eggplant, it’s about to be one of yours. I first tried this dish on a trip to Italy with my husband in 2014, on a quest to enjoy some of the country’s authentic food (um, without resorting to pasta and pizza 24/7). And I absolutely fell in love with it. Years later, those memories sparked my own eggplant rollatini recipe. It’s a little like my zucchini roll-ups or zucchini ravioli, but naturally, the eggplant is the star in this one. Make it with me!

Why You Need My Eggplant Rollatini Recipe

• Classic Italian flavors – Rolls of tender roasted eggplant with a cheesy spinach filling, all smothered in saucy tomatoes, topped with melty mozzarella, and finished with fresh basil. Just like I remember in Italy.
• Simple, fresh ingredients – Italians sure know how to do seasonal produce right, and I tried to capture that with my rollatini. It tastes like summer in every bite.
• Easy, healthy dinner – Eggplant rollatini is the perfect way to sneak lots of veggies onto your plate. My family is firmly in the omnivore camp, but even we love this as a vegetarian meal. And making it is much easier than it looks!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my eggplant rollatini recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Eggplant Noodles:

The eggplant makes the “rolls”, kind of like a veggie swap for manicotti noodles. Some eggplant rollatini recipes require breading or frying the noodles, but mine keeps it simple.

• Eggplant – I use globe eggplant for my rollatini, since it’s easy to find here in the U.S. It’s called aubergine in some countries. And of course you can totally use Italian eggplant. Just pick firm ones.
• Olive Oil – For roasting the eggplant slices. You can use classic extra virgin olive oil, regular olive oil, or even avocado oil.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Filling:

You’re going to love this filling! It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, it’s spinach-y. I’ve since used a similar blend to make spinach stuffed chicken and stuffed salmon, but my eggplant rollatini started it all.

• Ricotta Cheese – A.k.a. the base. I always go for whole milk ricotta for the best flavor, but 2% works, too. Sometimes I even use farmer’s cheese.
• Frozen Spinach – Thaw completely and squeeze to remove excess moisture. You’ll need 8 ounces, or you can saute fresh spinach instead. If you start with fresh, you’ll need about 20 ounces before cooking it down.
• Parmesan Cheese – I prefer grated parm for this recipe, but shredded works too.
• Egg – Helps hold the filling together. Egg substitutes don’t really work well here, but you can probably just omit it if you need to.
• Italian Seasoning – Grab a blend from the store, or whip up your own Italian seasoning in about 5 minutes like I do.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

VARIATION: Add garlic!

I’ll be honest, the only reason I left it out of my eggplant rollatini recipe is to stick to my “10 ingredients or less” theme. If you’ve got the time, 4 cloves of fresh minced garlic (or a teaspoon of garlic powder) makes the filling taste even better.

Assembly:

Don’t forget the toppings! They complete this dish:

• Marinara Sauce – I’m pretty sure the rollatini I had in Italy just used regular tomato sauce. You can certainly go that route, but my version uses marinara and I think it’s wonderful. If you’ve got the time, my homemade marinara is awesome for this dish, but store-bought works just fine.
• Mozzarella Cheese – I use pre-shredded mozzarella for convenience. You can also shred it yourself. Fresh mozzarella works too, but you’ll need to dry it well with paper towels to prevent the dish from getting too watery.
• Fresh Basil – Totally optional, but it’s the best fresh garnish!

How To Make Eggplant Rollatini

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Make the eggplant sheets. Use a mandoline to slice it into long, thin sheets, about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Roast the eggplant. Place the slices of eggplant onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven, until soft and mostly dry. Pat with paper towels to remove any lingering moisture.

3. Mix the filling. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, (drained and thawed) spinach, parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
4. Assemble the eggplant rollatini with spinach. Don’t worry about the rolling, it’s super easy! Just spoon the ricotta mixture onto the eggplant sheets and roll up. I typically use a couple tablespoons in each, but how much you can fit will depend on the size and shape of your eggplant.

5. Top with marinara and cheese. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish. Place the rollatini on top of the marinara, seam side down. Slather with more marinara and sprinkle with mozzarella.
6. Bake until melty and golden. Baking melts the cheese and heats the filling, but you’ll need to pop the pan under the broiler to get those golden brown spots. Top your baked eggplant rollatini with fresh basil and enjoy!

My Recipe Tips

• Choose small to medium eggplants. They are less bitter, less watery, and have fewer seeds. If you’ve got a large one, you may want to salt the eggplant slices for half an hour (then rinse and dry) before roasting, to cut the bitterness.
• Do you really need a mandoline slicer? I highly recommend one for thin, even slices, which are so important to ensure the eggplant cooks evenly and rolls up well. (You need them 1/4 inch thick.) I originally had a handheld mandoline (pictured above), but now I love this one because I don’t have to balance it. You can try slicing with a sharp knife if you need to.
• The center cut eggplant slices work best. They are larger and roll more easily to make the rollatini. In fact, I only use about half the eggplant for this recipe. You can still roast the eggplant end pieces (just enjoy them plain instead of using them for the filling), or use the extras to make my eggplant caponata.
• Transfer the eggplant rolls to the baking dish carefully. They can fall apart if you’re not gentle. I find that using a flat turner makes transferring a lot easier.

Storage & Meal Prep

• Store: Keep leftover eggplant rollatini in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. They store the longest in an airtight container, but if I have a lot left, sometimes I just cover the baking dish with foil.
• Meal prep: This dish tastes best when baked fresh, but you can definitely assemble it in advance and bake it later. Or just roast the eggplant and mix the filling in advance, then assemble the day-of.
• Reheat: Pop it in the oven at 350 degrees F. My microwave does a pretty good job for lunch leftovers, too.
• Freeze: You can freeze this eggplant rollatini recipe for up to 3 months, either before or after baking. Sometimes I even bake it from frozen (at 350 degrees F), and just place the baking dish in the oven while it preheats to avoid sudden temperature changes. It takes 40-45 minutes, though, so thaw in the fridge overnight if you want it to heat quickly.

Serving Ideas

I love eggplant rollatini as a veggie-forward meal all on its own, though it can also work as a side. In Italy, it was usually in the appetizer section.

• If eggplant rollatini is your main dish, serve it with a salad. I like it with a simple arugula salad, my Italian-inspired artichoke salad, or a summery Caprese salad. In the mood for something heartier? My antipasto salad makes a great starter, or Greek lemon potatoes actually pair nicely.
• If it’s your side dish or appetizer, you’ll need a main dish. My saucy slow cooker chicken cacciatore, quick veal scallopini, or pesto salmon work really well with this. You can also keep it simple with baked pork chops or baked cod. (Both bake at the same temp as the rollatini, so you can cook them at the same time and just rotate the pans.)

My Tools For This Recipe

• Mandoline – For perfect, thin eggplant slices.
• Baking Dish – It looks so pretty going straight from oven to table. I use mine every week!
• Flat Turner – This makes it so much easier to transfer the delicate eggplant rolls into the dish.

Recipe Card

4.92 from 35 votes

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Eggplant Rollatini (Easy & Healthy)

Make my easy eggplant rollatini recipe with roasted eggplant, creamy spinach filling, saucy marinara, and melty cheese. It's unforgettable!

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Total: 55 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

Manicotti noodles:

• 1.5 lbs Eggplant ▢
• 2 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢

Filling:

• 10 oz Whole milk ricotta cheese ▢
• 8 oz Frozen spinach (thawed and drained) ▢
• 1/3 cup Grated parmesan cheese ▢
• 1 large Egg ▢
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning ▢
• 1/8 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/8 tsp Black pepper ▢

Assembly:

• 1 cup Marinara sauce ▢
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese (shredded) ▢
• Fresh basil (optional, for garnish) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Use a mandoline to slice the eggplant lengthwise into long, thin sheets, 1/4 inch (.64 cm) thick. Choose 12 center slices, totaling about 12 ounces. (You won't use the rest for the rollatini, but can roast those separately with olive oil, salt, and pepper.)

3. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on the baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, on both sides.

4. Roast the eggplant in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until soft and mostly dry. Pat with paper towels to soak up any extra moisture.

5. In a medium bowl, stir together the filling ingredients: ricotta cheese, (thawed and drained) spinach, parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

6. Spread 1/2 cup (118 ml) marinara sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish.

7. Divide the filling evenly between all 12 eggplant sheets. Roll up and use a flat turner to carefully place into the baking dish, seam side down.

8. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup (118 ml) of marinara sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella (112 grams) over the rolled eggplant.

9. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot. Place under the broiler for 3-4 additional minutes, until browned on top. Garnish with fresh basil if you like.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 3 eggplant rollatini

• This serving size is great for a meal. 1-2 rollatini is more typical as an appetizer.
• Nutrition info includes half of the eggplant amount, because only the center slices are used for the rollatini.

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 442

Fat 29.9g

Protein 24.4g

Total Carbs 21.9g

Net Carbs 13.7g

Fiber 8.2g

Sugar 9.1g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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Try More Of My Recipes

• 
  Eggplant Lasagna
• 
  Air Fryer Eggplant
• 
  Grilled Eggplant
• 
  Eggplant Caponata

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Gratitude Moment

Here we are on our trip to Italy in 2014! I had to dig up this picture from our pre-smartphone digital camera days, lol. It was our first “baby moon” trip, and we loved every minute of it.

This picture was in Rome. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember which city it was that we had eggplant rollatini (we visited multiple cities), but the dish itself is impossible to forget.

What’s your favorite healthy Italian meal? Let me know in the comments below — I’ll tell you if I have a recipe, or if not, maybe I’ll create one!