Eggplant Rollitini

A traditional food in my family for Christmas Eve has always been Eggplant Rollitini. My grandma used to make them with prosciutto and everyone would line up and eat them just as fast as she could serve them. Everyone would feign calm but was really waiting until the next plate of rollitini would come out and to make sure they were in good position to grab one before they disappeared.

My grandmother passed a couple years ago and this year when we had Christmas Eve (since I have been typecast as the Eggplant Chef) it was requested that I make rollitini. I believe it was a success, at least I think thats what it means when there were lies and thievery involved in the snatching and hiding of rolls and people were guarding them with their lives. While these were meatfree, noone complained about the absence of the italian sausage. So here is the recipe to share:

• 2 large eggplants
• eggs
• panko breadcrumbs
• evoo
• ricotta
• marinara sauce
• mozarella cheese
• parmesan cheese
• italian spices (basil, parsley, pepper, etc)
• garlic

1. preheat oven to 350
2. mix 1 large container of ricotta, 1 egg,  and 2 cups of mozarella in a bowl with spices and at least 3 cloves of garlic, a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese
3. mix a few tablespoons of parmesan with the panko and some pepper and spread in a plate for coating the eggplant
4. mix egg and water into a wide tray to soak the eggplant in
5. peel the eggplant and then slice it into long thin strips
6. soak eggplant in egg solution and then coat each one with the panko and parm
7. allow the coated eggplant to dry a bit before frying
8. fry the coated eggplant in evoo
9. dry on paper towels
10. coat the bottom of a baking dish with marinara sauce
11. smooth the ricotta mixture along the length of the eggplant strip. if you were to add meat you would put it in the center here
12. roll each strip up tightley, place seam side down, place a toothpick in it if need be to hold it together
13. line them up in the baking dish
14. bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese bubbles
15. serve and ENJOY!