I saw this recipe the other day and wanted to try it.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-Rolls-Filled-with-Basil-and-Cheese-12755
I followed the recipe pretty closely except I used ricotta instead of mozzarella cheese, and I made the tomato sauce without the sugar and I didn’t strain it. I reduced the cooking time of the sauce, I only cooked the sauce until the tomatoes collapsed. I wanted the dish to be fresh and summery.
I grilled the eggplant instead of cooking it in the broiler. I don’t think it made any difference in the recipe. I just grilled it because it was hot when I was making this, and I didn’t want to stand in the kitchen, I like to grill. Cook the eggplant however you like. It will work out fine.
My eggplant were kind of small, here they are all grilled with the cheeses and the tomato sauce ready to assemble the dish.
I had a summer squash lurking in the refrigerator so I grilled that too.
Starting to assemble the dish.
All rolled up. I had a little cheese leftover so I put that on top.
Added some more sauce, about 1/2 way up the rolls and some Parmesan cheese.
After baking. It looks soupier than it was. Maybe that is why the recipe says to thicken the sauce? I liked it like this in the summer, maybe in the winter a thick sauce would be better.
I think I want to serve it with polenta next time.
This was seriously good, and really filling and I had lots of leftovers.
This would make a nice pot-luck dish.
I hope you try it with the eggplant you get in your share this week.