skillet eggplant rollatini
I’m a huge fan of Martha Stewart’s stacked eggplant parmesan. So when I came across this eggplant rollatini created by the Kardashian’s private chef, I figured it couldn’t hurt to give another celebrity eggplant recipe a try.
To give it my signature high-protein vegetarian twist, I omitted the turkey sausage, used cottage cheese in place of ricotta, and added a full box of baby spinach. I also baked the whole thing in a skillet instead of a casserole dish, and it worked flawlessly. Add it to your end-of-summer dinner list!
the best low-moisture mozzarella cheese
I learned the hard way that some brands of low-moisture mozzarella are much better than others!! In my experience, the Whole Foods 365 brand does not brown in the oven at all and is VERY disappointing. On the flipside, I’ve had great success with the Trader Joe’s brand, as well as Polly-O. Serious Eats has a very scientific breakdown, if you’re curious.
Whenever possible, opt for whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella cheese (versus part skim), which will melt more readily and provide a creamier result.
more cheesy recipes to try
Here are a few ideas for your leftover mozzarella:
- sheet pan eggplant parmesan
- stuffed spaghetti squash rings
- higher-protein french bread pizza
- sheet pan spaghetti squash lasagna
see it in action…
skillet eggplant rollatini
serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants (~2 1/2 pounds total)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- freshly-ground black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (5-ounce) container baby spinach
- 1 cup whole-milk cottage cheese
- 1 ounce freshly-grated Parmesan (1/2 cup), plus more for topping
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce (I always use Rao’s)
- 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese (1 cup), shredded
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Trim the eggplant and slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Divide between two baking sheets and brush both sides with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and several grinds black pepper. Roast for 10 minutes; remove and let cool.
- Meanwhile, heat a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the spinach is almost completely wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a strainer and press firmly to remove excess liquid, then place in a large bowl and slice into pieces with kitchen scissors. Add the cottage cheese, Parmesan, egg, basil, oregano, and several grinds black pepper and stir to combine. Season with more salt as needed.
- Pour enough sauce into the now-empty skillet to completely cover the bottom. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the filling onto each eggplant strip and roll them up. Arrange in the skillet. (If you have extra filling, dollop into the skillet in between the rolls).
- Cover the rolls with more sauce. I used the entire jar, but if you don’t want it as saucy you can reserve ~1/2 cup to add when reheating. Top with the mozzarella and as much extra Parmesan as you like.
- Re-position the oven rack to the center. Cover the skillet with greased foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese is browned in spots, 15 to 20 minutes more. Top with basil and enjoy!
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