Eggplant Involtini with Moroccan Marinara Sauce

Name: Eggplant Involtini with Moroccan Marinara Sauce
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 2 large eggplants; 2 cups ricotta cheese; 2 cloves garlic; 3 green onions; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion; 1 large red bell pepper; 5 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; Tiny pinch ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 1 cup harissa sauce; 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped; fresh basil; Parmesan Cheese

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
3 hrs
Servings
4 Servings
Calories
332 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian, American

Eggplant Involtini with Moroccan Marinara Sauce

Tyler Espinosa

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Eggplant Involtini with Moroccan Marinara Sauce is a rich, incredible vegetarian and gluten-free "pasta" dish perfect for eggplant lovers!

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Ingredients

Servings

Eggplant Involtini

2 large eggplants sliced length-wise into ¼-inch thick slices
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic minced
3 green onions chopped
¼ teaspoon sea salt to taste

Moroccan Marinara Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
5 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Tiny pinch ground cinnamon optional
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
1 cup harissa sauce mild, medium, or hot
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

For Serving:

fresh basil chopped
Parmesan Cheese grated

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Instructions

Prepare the Moroccan Marinara Sauce:

In a medium-sized non-stick skillet, heat the oil to medium. Add the onions and peppers, and sauté, stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, paprika, ground cumin, cinnamon (optional), red pepper flakes (optional) and sea salt, and sauté an additional 3 minutes.
Add the Harissa paste and chopped tomatoes and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: if you’re in a time crunch, reduce the simmer time to 10 minutes.

Prepare the Eggplant:

Using a mandolin slicer or a sharp knife, slice the eggplants lengthwise into ¼-inch thick slices. You should end up with 12 to 16 slices and you can save the end slices for other uses, as they will not roll well.
Sprinkle each side of the slices with sea salt and place in a colander in the sink. Allow eggplant to sit for 1 to 2 hours to allow much of the water to drain out. Use your fingers to gently press out any of the excess liquid. (Note: You can also layer the eggplant slices on a cutting board or divide between two plates and put paper towels between layers. Put a heavy object (such as a text book cast iron skillet) on top of the slices in order to speed up the process slightly).
In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, garlic, green onion and salt until well-combined. Set aside until ready to use.
Heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet (enough to generously coat the surface) over medium-high heat. Place two eggplant slices on the hot skillet and allow them to cook until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking another 2 to 3 minutes, until browned on both sides and slightly softened but not too floppy. Place cooked eggplant on a plate and repeat for remaining slices.

Prepare the Eggplant Involtini:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Poor the Morroccan Marinara Sauce into the bottom of a 13" x 9" casserole dish.
Scoop some of the ricotta mixture onto the end of each eggplant slice (I used about ¼ cup of ricotta per slice), and roll them up. Place each eggplant roll in the casserole dish, nestling them into the sauce.
Place casserole dish on the center rack of the oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly, the eggplant slices are cooked through, and the ricotta is gooey.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil.