Italian Eggplant Involtini
Are you having trouble finding recipes for all of the eggplants in your garden? If so, Eggplant Involtini is the perfect dish. Serve it with a salad, Italian bread, and some Malbec for the perfect dinner. The dish appeared in Death of a Foster Child.
Ingredients
2 eggplants (1 pound each)
olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups of marinara sauce
1/2 pound of thin spaghetti
20 fresh basil leaves, chopped
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 pound of smoked mozzarella cheese
Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 3/8-inch thick slices. You should get 8 slices from each eggplant. Brush some olive oil on the eggplant slices and place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes per side.
Bring the water for the pasta to a boil, add salt to taste, and cook the pasta until al dente. When the pasta is ready, drain, and toss with half of the tomato sauce and half of chopped basil, stirring until the pasta is well coated. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Coat the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Put a slice of the cooked eggplant on a plate. Place a few strands of spaghetti on top of the eggplant slice; the strands should drape over the slice on both sides.Add some ricotta cheese over the pasta and roll the eggplant slice around the pasta and cheese. Place the roll in the baking dish.
When all the rolls are in the baking dish pour a little of the sauce over them and sprinkle the remaining basil on top. Place a slice of smoked mozzarella on top of each roll. Dot the top of each roll with a little more sauce. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese melts.
Serves 8