Eggplant Rollatini

• knife
• two cookie sheets
• large baking dish
• toothpicks
• aluminum foil

• 2 large eggplants (3 pounds total)
• several T olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 1 batch cashew ricotta
• pepper
• about 1 c tomato sauce*

Thinly slice (1/3-inch) the eggplant, rub lightly with oil, and arrange in a single layer on trays. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and soft but not falling apart. (Alternatively, you can grill the slices – more flavorful but also much more hands on.)

Spread about half of the tomato sauce in the baking dish and increase the oven to 400.

Take a couple of T of ricotta and shape into a short tube. Set this at the end of a slice of eggplant and roll up. Place in baking dish and use a toothpick to keep it from unraveling. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices and filling, arranging the finished rolls in a single layer in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

To serve, spread a bit of sauce on each plate, top with 2 or 3 rollatini, remove the toothpicks, garnish with more sauce, and enjoy!

You can skip baking the rollatini if you won’t be eating them immediately.

For a really special dish, alternate with zucchini rollatini.

Adapted from the recipe for "Eggplant Rollatini with Fresh Mozzarella and Goat Cheese" in Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (read my review).

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