The best, low-carb Eggplant Rollatini, made with thin sliced eggplant filled with spinach and cheese, topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. No frying, no breadcrumbs!
Eggplant Rollatini Recipe
This baked Eggplant Rollatini filled with a spinach-ricotta filling is my favorite way to enjoy eggplant all summer long! It’s decadent, low-carb, and a delicious vegetarian comfort food meal for weeknights or entertaining. I love that it’s so light and healthy, with no breading and no deep-frying. For more eggplant recipes, you may also like this Baked Eggplant Parmesan or these Breaded Eggplant Fries.
Why This Works
If you’re not the biggest fan of eggplant, I think this eggplant rollatini recipe will change your mind. The eggplant is sliced so thin (I used my mandolin for perfectly even slices) that it melts in your mouth once baked. Since eggplants aren’t all the exact same size, start checking it for doneness after it’s baked for 45 minutes.
- Low Carb
- Great for Entertaining
- Vegetarian
Ingredients You’ll Need
This eggplant rollatini uses just a few ingredients! See recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Vegetables: Eggplant and frozen spinach
- Cheese: Part-skim ricotta cheese, pecorino romano, mozzarella cheese
- Sauce: Marinara sauce or Tomato Sauce
- Other: Garlic, egg, salt, and pepper
How To Make Eggplant Parmesan
Here’s the step-by-step instructions. See recipe card for printable recipe.
- Slice 2 medium Italian eggplants lengthwise into ten ¼‑inch slices. Salt to draw out moisture, rest 10–15 minutes, then pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F. Season slices with salt and pepper, place on parchment-lined baking sheets, cover with foil, and bake for about 8–10 minutes until soft but not fully cooked.
- Spread ¼ cup marinara on the bottom of a 13×9‑inch baking dish.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg with ricotta, Pecorino Romano, cooked & squeezed dry spinach, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Pat eggplant dry again. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese‑spinach filling at one end of each slice; roll up and place seam-side down in the dish.
- Pour on remaining marinara and sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake until eggplant is very tender—about 60 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Variations
- Sub the homemade marinara sauce for jarred to save time or use my 3-ingredient Tomato Sauce.
- Swap frozen spinach for frozen kale. You can also steam or sauté fresh spinach and squeeze out the liquid.
- For more protein, swap out the ricotta for cottage cheese.
- If you don’t want to roll and stuff the eggplant, you could lay the slices flat and layer them with the cheese mixture for a low-carb lasagna.
Freezer Instructions
You can freeze rollatini before or after baking it. If you freeze it uncooked, store the rollatini in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and freeze for up to three months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. You can also freeze baked leftover rollatini in individual containers. You can either warm it in the oven or the microwave.
More Eggplant Recipes You’ll Love
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Eggplant Meatballs
- Baked Eggplant Sticks
- Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
- Cheesy Eggplant Gnocchi Caprese
Eggplant Rollatini
Equipment
- 1 13 x 9-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 medium Italian eggplants, cut lengthwise into 10 (1/4-inch thick) slices (21 oz total when sliced)
- kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, or my 3-ingredient tomato sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, or Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for serving
- 8 ounces frozen spinach, heated through and squeezed well
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup part-skim mozzarella, shredded (I like Polly-O) 4 oz total
Instructions
- Cut the 2 ends off the eggplants. Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slices until you have a total of 10 slices about the same size. It's easiest to do this with a mandolin.
- Sprinkle the eggplant with kosher salt to help remove excess moisture and bitterness from the eggplants. Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes. Pat dry with a towel.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Season the eggplant with a little more salt and pepper, then arrange on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover tightly with foil and bake until eggplant is tender and pliable but NOT fully cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg then mix together with ricotta, Pecorino Romano, spinach, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.
- Pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Dividing the ricotta-spinach mixture (about 2 generous tablespoons each) evenly and spoon onto one end of each eggplant slice, spreading to cover. Starting at the short end, roll up slices and arrange them each seam side down in the prepared dish. Top with remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and tightly cover with foil.
- Bake until the eggplant is very tender, about 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving with additional Pecorino Romano if desired.
Last Step:
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Nutrition
