Cheesy Eggplant Roll-Ups, known in Italy as Involtini di Melanzane, is a delightful dish that combines thin slices of eggplant with creamy mozzarella cheese, wrapped up and baked in a rich tomato sauce.
Perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or even a main course, these roll-ups are sure to become a favorite at your table.
Eggplant, or melanzane, is a staple in Italian cuisine, known for its versatility and ability to absorb flavors.In this recipe, the eggplant slices are first baked to soften them, making them easy to roll. Each slice is then filled with a slice of mozzarella and tomato sauce, creating a gooey, cheesy center.
These Eggplant Mozzarella Roll-Ups are not only tasty but also a healthier alternative to traditional pasta dishes. They are gluten-free and can easily be made vegetarian by using vegetarian-friendly cheese.
Whether you're serving them at a family dinner or a festive gathering, these roll-ups are sure to impress your guests with their savory flavors and elegant presentation.
Enjoy a taste of Italy with this simple yet exquisite dish that celebrates the rich flavors of eggplant and mozzarella. Perfect for any occasion, these eggplant rolls are a wonderful way to showcase the beauty of Italian cuisine.
Ingredients
- Prep Time: 15 Min
- Cook Time: 30 Min
- Servings: 4-6
PLEASE NOTE: These are the servings for 10-12 involtini. It depends on the size of the eggplant and how big you want to make them. We used a large, round eggplant. If you use smaller, elongated eggplant, cut it lengthwise to make larger slices that are easier for roll-ups.
- 1 big eggplant
- 250 g (8 oz) of mozzarelle
- 60 g (½ cup) of grated Parmigiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
- 225 g (1 cup) of tomato pulp (canned or made from fresh tomatoes)
- 4 tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil + more to season
- salt to taste
- 10 fresh basil leaves + more for decoration
Instructions
Step 1) - In a frying pan pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add the tomato pulp. You can use canned peeled tomatoes. Or use fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and seedless. Cook for about ten minutes, then add the basil leaves and season with salt. Keep aside.
Step 2) - Meanwhile, wash and dry the eggplant. Remove the stem. Then cut it into very thin slices (about 3-4 millimeters or ⅛ inch thick). The thickness of the slices is important. The thinner they are, the easier it's to roll them up to make the involtini. Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. With a brush, grease the eggplant slices with extra virgin olive oil. Finally salt lightly.
Step 3) - Bake at 180°C (356°F) for about 10 minutes. After this time, remove the eggplant slices from the oven and allow to cool. This step is very important. It's a precooking to make the slices softer to roll. It also helps to dry out the vegetable water that can make the eggplant bitter.
Step 4) - Cut the mozzarella into thin slices. If the mozzarella releases a lot of liquid during cutting, let it drain and dry as much as possible. Finally start making the eggplant rolls.
Step 5) - On each eggplant slice place a spoonful of tomato pulp. Then add one or two slices of mozzarella cheese.
Step 6) - Finally roll the eggplant slice on itself to form the involtini. Prepare all the rolls and set aside. Now you need to get the baking dish ready to bake the eggplant roll-ups.
Step 7) - In a baking dish, pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Then add 3-4 tablespoons of tomato sauce and cover the entire bottom. Lastly lay the rolls on top next to each other and sprinkle with plenty of grated Parmigiano cheese.
Step 8) - Add a few basil leaves. Finally, add a drizzle of oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Step 9) - Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 10 minutes. Turn on the grill function for the last 2-3 minutes to get a crispy crust on the surface of the rolls. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Before serving the eggplant mozzarella rolls, add a few leaves of fresh basil.
YOU MUST ALSO READ:
- Breaded Eggplant Cutlets Recipe
- Eggplant Meatballs - Polpette di Melanzane
- Authentic Caponata Recipe
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Baked Zucchini Fritters
- Eggplant Pizza | Pizzette di Melanzane
- Italian Eggplant and Tomatoes (Melanzane a Funghetto)
Storage
You can store eggplant mozzarella roll-ups with tomato for up to 2 days in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or sealed in an airtight container.
Reheat them in the oven for 5 minutes before serving. Freezing is not recommended.
Tips
In this recipe I recommend using chopped tomato pulp. This is because the tomato in this recipe is not a condiment. It's part of the filling of the roll along with the mozzarella cheese. You should feel the tomato pieces in your mouth. And it adds volume to the roll.
You can also use very ripe fresh tomatoes cut into raw pieces. In this case you have an extremely fresh and light taste.
You can use canned pulp or boil ripe tomatoes for 2 minutes. Then remove the skin and cut them into pieces. Finally proceed as shown.
The best tomatoes for this recipe are well-ripened San Marzano tomatoes.
Variations
Eggplant Rolls with Caciocavallo: To make more flavorful eggplant rolls, you can replace mozzarella with caciocavallo cheese.
Caciocavallo is a very tasty cheese, used especially in southern Italian regions to flavor many local dishes.
Eggplant Roll-Ups with Ham: We have shown you a fairly simple and delicate version, which can be a side dish or an appetizer.
But if you also add a slice of ham to the roulade, you will get a richer and more nutritious dish.
Eggplan Rolls without Tomato: Involtini di Melanzane are often made without tomato. That is, "in bianco" (white, as opposed to the red given by the tomato), as we would say in Italy.
The filling varies greatly from region to region. The classic filling consists of ricotta and prosciutto. Or ricotta and spinach.
In Sicily, for example, it's very common to stuff eggplant roulades with chopped breadcrumbs, anchovies in oil, raisins and pine nuts.
Fried Involtini di Melanzane If you want to make very tasty and appetizing eggplant rolls, you can change the cooking method and fry them. Fry not only the freshly floured eggplant slices, but also the rolls.
When the eggplant slices are fried, let them cool. Then stuff them with tomato pulp and mozzarella cheese (or other filling of your choice) and roll them up.
Now dip them in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs. Fry them in plenty of oil in a frying pan or deep fryer.
You can enjoy them as crispy as they are, or lay them on a plate over a tomato sauce.
This is a really tasty version but definitely not a light one. Probably not very suitable for summer, but still worth a try!
Recipe Card
Cheesy Eggplant Roll-Ups Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant - big
- 250 g mozzarella - 8 oz
- 60 g Parmigiano cheese - ½ cup, grated
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 225 g tomato - 1 cup (tomato pulp, canned or made from fresh tomatoes)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin (+ more to season)
- salt - to taste
- 10 basil leaves - + more for decoration
Instructions
- In a frying pan pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add the tomato pulp. You can use canned peeled tomatoes. Or use fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and seedless. Cook for about ten minutes, then add the basil leaves and season with salt. Keep aside.
- Meanwhile, wash and dry the eggplant. Remove the stem. Then cut it into very thin slices (about 3-4 millimeters or ⅛ inch thick). The thickness of the slices is important. The thinner they are, the easier it's to roll them up to make the involtini. Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. With a brush, grease the eggplant slices with extra virgin olive oil. Finally salt lightly.
- Bake at 180°C (356°F) for about 10 minutes. After this time, remove the eggplant slices from the oven and allow to cool. This step is very important. It's a precooking to make the slices softer to roll. It also helps to dry out the vegetable water that can make the eggplant bitter.
- Cut the mozzarella into thin slices. If the mozzarella releases a lot of liquid during cutting, let it drain and dry as much as possible. Finally start making the eggplant rolls.
- On each eggplant slice place a spoonful of tomato pulp. Then add one or two slices of mozzarella cheese.
- Finally roll the eggplant slice on itself to form the involtini. Prepare all the rolls and set aside. Now you need to get the baking dish ready to bake the eggplant roll-ups.
- In a baking dish, pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Then add 3-4 tablespoons of tomato sauce and cover the entire bottom. Lastly lay the rolls on top next to each other and sprinkle with plenty of grated Parmigiano cheese.
- Add a few basil leaves. Finally, add a drizzle of oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 10 minutes. Turn on the grill function for the last 2-3 minutes to get a crispy crust on the surface of the rolls. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Before serving the eggplant mozzarella rolls, add a few leaves of fresh basil.
Fran says
Made these exactly as the recipe stated. They looked exactly like the picture shown!
Silvana Nava says
I am sorry that the result was not outstanding.
I assure you that these eggplant rolls are!
If you prefer a less bland taste, you can add a little extra salt or use provolone or caciocavallo instead of mozzarella.
Have a great day!