- 2 large eggplants (~1.5 lbs each)
- 1 small red onion
- olive oil
- 1 quart whole tomatoes in juice (not puree)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- pecorino cheese
- 1 slice bread
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, or 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens® basil paste
- Redmond's® Real Salt
- McCormack's® Peppercorn Medley
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
Directions:
Prep. Line two large baking pans with greased parchment paper and set aside. Grate pecorino cheese (about 3/4 cups rounded) and set aside. Mince onion and set aside. Mince Garlic and set aside. Use a food processor to create breadcrumbs from the slice of bread and set aside. Drain the tomatoes into a bowl. Rough chop the tomatoes. Put the pieces into the bowl of tomato juice and set aside.
Roast the eggplants. Peel the eggplants. Trim a small bit from each side so that all your ensuing slices can lay flat. Slice into 1/2 inch slices. Lay out the slices on the pans. Brush olive oil (about 5 tablespoons) on the slices, then salt and pepper. Flip and repeat. Place into the oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest, flipping after 5 minutes lest condensation form beneath the slices.
Make the tomato sauce (whilst the eggplant slices are roasting). In a sauteause pan (one that can go into the oven), put one teaspoon of olive oil and brown the onions. Part way through, add the garlic and finishing browning. Add in the tomatoes and their juice. Add oregano, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon peppercorn medley, and pinch of red pepper flakes. Let simmer whilst making the cheese filling.
Make the cheese filling. In a medium bowl, add together the ricotta, a well rounded (heaping) 1/2 cup of pecorino, the breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (about 1/2 of a large lemon), the basil (I prefer the paste) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix until well-blended.
Roll the eggplant slices. Distribute the cheese mixture evenly amongst the slices by placing a hefty soup spoon of cheese mixture onto the large end of the eggplant slices. Starting from that large end, roll up the eggplant slices around the cheese mixture. Place each slice into the sauce, with the seam side down. Put one eggplant roll into the middle of the pan and fan the rest around it into a circle.
Finish. Simmer on the stove for 12-15 minutes (look for the cheese mixture to melt). Remove from the stove and top with more grated pecorino. Finish in the oven beneath broil to brown the top.
Myrtle's Note: I saw this on America's Test Kitchen and wanted to make it immediately. Whilst I did tweak the tomato sauce a bit, I found the recipe rather easy to follow (once I transcribed it from the video). This was one of the absolute best eggplant recipes I have ever had. And was a bit hit with guests. Over all, none of the steps are complicated and the end result is an impressive dish. The key is to do all your prep beforehand so that you can smoothly go from prepping and roasting the eggplant slices to the sauce to the cheese mixture to the rolls.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngU9ke0ykNc
