Feast your eyes on this Italian classic, without any breading or any frying. This eggplant rollatini, also known as Involtini di Melanzane in Italy, involves delicately rolled and thin slices of eggplant filled with a ricotta cheese filling, rolled up and baked to perfection with a comforting marinara sauce and baked mozzarella cheese.
Is your mouth watering yet? Trust me, this one is a dinner recipe that even the biggest meat-eater will love.

Eggplant is a very versatile and meaty vegetable that can be used in so many recipes.
What I love about making it the star ingredient of a main course is that it holds onto flavor well, and in this eggplant rollatini, you get all the classic Italian flavors, and don't feel weighted down because it's not fried!
Jump to:
- What makes this eggplant rollatini the best?
- What are the ingredients I need for this dish?
- Swaps and Substitutions
- How do I make this eggplant involtini?
- Bake the Eggplant
- Make the Ricotta Filling
- Roll the Eggplant
- Prep the Baking Dish
- Top with Sauce and Cheese
- Tips and Tricks
- Serving and pairing suggestions for this recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Hungry for more?
- Did you like this recipe? Share it!
- The Best Eggplant Rollatini Recipe (Easy to Make)
What makes this eggplant rollatini the best?
For starters, this recipe doesn't require anything out of the ordinary. It's a traditional dish made with easy and approachable ingredients, including store-bought tomato sauce.
While a more traditional eggplant rollatini incorporates dipping the eggplant into a flour and egg mixture, and into breadcrumbs to fry, we skip that step and simply bake the eggplant until nice and tender, then roll it up and bake in the oven. A lighter version with less carbs and oil without skipping out on flavor.
What are the ingredients I need for this dish?

- Globe Eggplant: You can use a large globe eggplant for this recipe, or use two medium eggplants. Either way, the eggplant should be sliced fairly thin. If it's too thick, it won't roll well.
- Ricotta Cheese: The ricotta cheese is one of the most important ingredients in this dish as it creates the ricotta mixture with the other ingredients that goes inside the eggplant rolls.
- Egg: The egg is used for binding the ricotta cheese with seasonings, mozzarella cheese, and gives a creamy flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan gets added to to the ricotta mixture for added creaminess and nutty flavor.
- Mozzarella Cheese: We mix together the mozzarella cheese with the ricotta and egg then add to the eggplant. I like to use whole milk mozzarella.
- Seasonings: Italian seasonings like basil, oregano, parsley get mixed into the mixture.
- Marinara Sauce: You can either use a jarred or store-bought marinara sauce, or a homemade marinara. Either way, you want to use enough to coat the bottom of the baking dish and then use some to top off the eggplant rolls before baking.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for more information regarding quantities and cooking instructions.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Eggplant - This recipe is meant to be an eggplant rollatini, but if you want to give this a try with zucchini you can, just be sure to cut the zucchini thin and pre-bake before rolling so that it becomes soft enough to roll.
- Mozzarella - I don't prefer to use fresh mozzarella on the inside of this dish as it is very watery. Try sticking with part skim, whole milk and grate yourself, or you can buy pre-shredded mozzarella cheese. If you are looking to make this dairy free, you can use a dairy-free mozzarella.
- Ricotta - Similar to using dairy-free mozzarella, you can use a dairy-free ricotta cheese like Kite Hill, or you can make your own.
- Meat - While this is a vegetarian dish, you could easily add minced meat like ground turkey, beef, bison, lamb, chicken, or Italian sweet or hot sausage.
How do I make this eggplant involtini?

Bake the Eggplant
Preheat oven 375°. Spray a sheet pan or baking sheet with cooking spray. Slice eggplant ¼” thick using a sharp chef's knife or a mandoline slicer (highly recommend using your mandoline slicer if you have).
Lay the eggplant on the baking sheet and bake for 10m. Let the eggplant cool for a few minutes before rolling.

Make the Ricotta Filling
In a medium bowl, add the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, seasonings, and egg.
Mix the ingredients together until full combined, the set aside.

Roll the Eggplant
Lay a slice of eggplant down on a cutting board or the sheet pan it baked in, then scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture, then spread across the center of the eggplant.
Roll from the rounded edge to the cut side of the eggplant until you reach the end.

Prep the Baking Dish
Pour a few tablespoons of marinara sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish, then lay the eggplant roll-ups seam side down into the baking dish.

Top with Sauce and Cheese
Lastly, add a few spoonfuls of the tomato sauce atop each of the eggplant rolls, then sprinkle the remainder of the mozzarella cheese on top.
Place in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese gets golden brown. Top the final dish with fresh rosemary or basil.
Tips and Tricks
After attempting to make this recipe a few times over the course of a few years, and then forgetting about it, I've finally landed on my top cooking tips for perfecting this eggplant dish each and every time you make it.
- Pre-roll the eggplant after they bake. This will help them set and hold their shape as they cool, and when they roll with the ricotta on the inside.
- Sprinkle a little salt on the eggplant before baking, and pat dry with paper towel to remove any moisture. The excess moisture from the eggplant will make the dish become just a little watery when it bakes, but it's not a huge deal as it will settle once the entire dish cools.
- If you want to get the cheese bubbly and golden, turn the oven to broil for 2ish minutes, but keep a watch on it! You don't want it to burn, as my third test did.

Serving and pairing suggestions for this recipe
You can make an entire Italian spread with this low-carb recipe by pairing this dish with:
- Deliciously homemade herb garlic bread and minestrone soup.
- Crispy, juicy chicken cutlets
- Serve it up with a pasta dish like tortellini or pappardelle.
- Celebrating a special occasion? This is an excellent dish to make with your significant other or friends, and bake up aside a tiramisu or chocolate covered strawberries.
- Eggplant rollatini is a great appetizer, but can also be an entrée for a dinner party.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I save and store the leftovers?
Add any leftover eggplant rollatini to an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat in the microwave or even in the oven until the cheese is bubbly.
My eggplant sliced too thick! What do I do now?
If the eggplant falls apart or if the eggplant ends up in thick slices, you can turn this dish into an eggplant lasagna by layering the baked eggplant with the ricotta mixture.
Do I need to have a mandoline slicer for this?
I would recommend it as it's a lot easier to use for precise eggplant slices versus using a chef's knife. I've done both, and feel confident that a mandoline slicer is the way to go. Just know, you don't need to run out and get one if you would prefer not to, a sharp chef's knife works well too.

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Check out these other delicious Italian classics!
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The Best Eggplant Rollatini Recipe (Easy to Make)
Equipment
- sheet pan
- cutting board
- mandoline slicer or chef's knife
- measuring bowls
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1 large Eggplant
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 large Egg
- 1 ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dried basil
- 1 ¼ cup Marinara Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven 375°. Spray a sheet pan or baking sheet with cooking spray. Slice eggplant ¼” thick using a sharp chef's knife or a mandoline slicer (highly recommend using your mandoline slicer if you have).
- Lay the eggplant on the baking sheet and bake for 10m. Let the eggplant cool for a few minutes before rolling.
- In a medium bowl, add the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, seasonings, and egg. Mix the ingredients together until full combined, the set aside.
- Lay a slice of eggplant down on a cutting board or the sheet pan it baked in, then scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture, then spread across the center of the eggplant.
- Roll from the rounded edge to the cut side of the eggplant until you reach the end.
- Pour a few tablespoons of marinara sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish, then lay the eggplant roll-ups seam side down into the baking dish.
- Lastly, add a few spoonfuls of the tomato sauce atop each of the eggplant rolls, then sprinkle the remainder of the mozzarella cheese on top.
- Place in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese gets golden brown. Top the final dish with fresh rosemary or basil.
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