The winter months make me casserole crazy and I love nothing more than making (and eating) savory rich casserole-like dishes for friends and family. So on most Sunday afternoons from November-March you will likely find me in my kitchen prepping a family-style dish that will last me a few days as leftovers!
I peeped some great looking eggplants at the coop last week and since I can’t make eggplant parmesan till April 1st due to my ban on gluten ban, I took the best parts of that dish (eggplants and cheese) and made something new! You can pre-assemble the casserole and keep in the refrigerator for 4 hours until cooking or make all in one go and enjoy some tasty leftovers!!!
The smells coming from my oven could be detected from the first floor! I live on the 6th floor and swear I could smell the cheese, oregano, basil, and tomatoes stewing in my oven. The wait was worth it although from start to finish this takes 45 minutes… bon appetit!
Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- 2 medium eggplants (sliced 1/2 inch lengthwise)
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 15 oz container fresh ricotta
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
To Make:
- pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and grease two baking sheets with olive oil
- arrange the eggplant in single layer on baking sheets and season with salt and pepper
- bake for 12-15 minutes (or until soft and beginning to brown) and remove from heat; let cool
- reduce heat to 400 degrees
- in small saucepan sweat garlic in 1 tsp olive oil and add tomatoes, simmer and add fresh basil
- spread 1/2 of tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish and set aside
- in a large bowl mix eggs, ricotta, oregano, 1 cup of mozzarella and pinch of salt and pepper
- lay out cooled eggplant slices and place 2 Tbl of ricotta mixture on one end of the sliced eggplant, roll it up and transfer to prepared baking dish with tomato sauce
- repeat this process with all eggplant slices *if you have any ricotta mixture remaining spread on top of eggplant rolls
- top the rolls with rest of tomato sauce, mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan
- bake until the cheese has melted and sauce is bubbling (20-25 minutes)
- remove from heat, let cool for 5 minutes and serve!
- Enjoy!
