Pasta Night

Frozen ravioli and spaghetti with meat sauce are go to meals around here because they are quick and easy. But sometimes you have to put a little umpf into it and make pasta with purpose. This is my second go around with this recipe and it is quickly getting to be a faster dish to put together. I call the eggplant roll ups -- what we are looking at is roasted eggplant filled with ricotta cheese, spinach, tomato, and artichoke, rolled up and baked with tomato sauce and parmesean cheese. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Just like we talked about when prepping the cauliflower for the quiche a few weeks back, you will have to slice up your eggplant and roast the slices with some olive oil. This will make them tender enough to roll around your filling. While they are in the oven challenge yourself to whip up the cheesy mixture before the timer dings. My efficiency is amazing when I race against myself.

When scooping the filling, be generous and get your hands in there to roll them up. Keep working quickly because the eggplant will hold best when it is still warm. Continue to be generous when covering the neatly rolled eggplant packages with tomato sauce and another layer of cheese. If you are a "the crust makes the pizza" kind of eater, add a crispy top with some course breadcrumbs. Me, I am a "the cheese makes the pizza," as you can probably tell.

I wasn't kidding about that mouth watering business. After baking the dish, let it sit for a few minutes and then serve over your favorite pasta. Because the dish is portioned, it is a great dinner party dish, not to mention that you can be the vegetarian hero at that dinner party. But it also gets better over night in the fridge and makes a lunch, almost too good to stuff into a tupperware container.

This recipe is, again, brought to you by Rachael Ray, with some modifications.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant (about 1 3/4 pounds), cut lengthwise into 8 slices

• Salt and pepper

• 4 large eggs

• 3/4 cup store-bought pesto

• 2 1/2 cups bread crumbs

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese

• 1/3 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese

• 1 cup store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

1. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and 4 tablespoons pesto. Pour the bread crumbs onto a large plate. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ;. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the eggplant until golden, 2 minutes on each side, using the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and 3 tablespoons pecorino-romano; season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of the remaining pesto on each eggplant slice and top with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Roll up each slice. Bake until the eggplant is tender when pierced with a toothpick, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer. Serve the roll-ups with the sauce and remaining pecorino.