Involtini di Melanzane Con Ricotta

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Yield: 2

Involtini di Melanzane Con Ricotta

(Ricotta-stuffed eggplant rolls, Campania style)

Brought to you by WineLoversPage.com, recipe contributed by the chefs in its Food Lovers’ Discussion Group.

The minute we read Villa Raiano’s suggestion that we pair its delicious 2011 Aglianico with “ricotta eggplant rolls,” they had us. This classic Southern Italian dish is iconic throughout the region, from Campania through Calabria, Basilicata and on across the straits to sunny Sicily. We had to try it!

Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Peel eggplant and slice thin, about 1/4 inch. Salt lightly, brush both sides with a little olive oil, and pre-cook briefly on your grill or in a nonstick sauté pan, just long enough to soften.
3. Combine ricotta, egg, about half of the grated cheese, parsley, pepper and remaining salt.
4. Pour a little of the tomato sauce into a baking dish. Spread each eggplant slice with a little of the cheese mixture; roll them, holding with a toothpick if you like, and place them on the sauce in the dish, fold-side-down. Cover them with the rest of the tomato sauce; top with the rest of the grated cheese and the mozzarella.
5. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until tender and browned.