This Eggplant Rollatini is low carb take on the classic Italian meal. Strips of eggplant are rolled with a cheesy garlic filling, then baked with marinara sauce for an easy meatless dinner idea!
This Antipasto Italian Salad is another low carb way to enjoy the Italian flavors you love. If you’re watching your carb intake, you’ll enjoy our Eggplant Parmesan recipe too.
Why This Dinner is Best
Have you ever had eggplant rollatini? It’s similar to zucchini rollups but we use eggplant spirals with a cheese filling inside.
- The eggplant is baked instead of fried.
- It’s wrapped around a flavorful homemade ricotta filling.
- Lots of bubbly melted Mozzarella on top!
- Vegetarian AND keto friendly.
- An easy one-pan recipe.
Most eggplant rollatini recipes start by breading and pan-frying strips of eggplant. We opted to bake the strips of eggplant instead. This softens them enough to roll without adding extra carbs and calories. Baking also saves you some hassle. No splashing oil and no extra dishes to wash.
A homemade meal that’s healthy, delicious and won’t leave you with a zillion dishes to clean? We are here for it!
Ingredient Notes
- Eggplants – Cut them lengthwise into long slices about 1/4 inch thick. The spongy texture is perfect for soaking up the sauce and cheese!
- Ricotta cheese – This fresh creamy cheese is the base of the filling. You can substitute cottage cheese or cream cheese if you don’t have any ricotta.
- Parmesan and Mozzarella – Grate the cheese yourself for smoothest melting and best taste.
- Sauce – You will need both marinara sauce and plain tomato sauce for this recipe. Check the ingredient label to ensure neither contains any added sugars.
Tips and Tricks
- Assemble the ricotta filling while the strips of eggplant bake. Baking the eggplant first helps soften it so it’s easy to roll around the filling.
- Use 1 tablespoon of filling per strip of eggplant. Be careful not to overfill; you’ll have a hard time getting your eggplant to stay rolled up if you use too much filling!
- Cover the pan with foil for the first 20 to 25 minutes of baking. This prevents the cheese layer from burning. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to allow the cheese to get bubbly and lightly browned.
Eggplant rollatini tastes best served right away after baking. We love this hearty main course with light and fresh side dishes. Salads with Mediterranean flavors like this Greek Salad and this Cucumber Tomato Salad taste delicious alongside the cheesy baked eggplant.
Don’t forget to whip up a batch of our gluten free garlic bread too!
If you end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftover eggplant rollatini in the microwave or oven before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Cream cheese and cottage cheese are two good substitutes for the Ricotta in this recipe. It tastes wonderful with any cheese that’s soft, spreadable and tangy.
We made this recipe with globe eggplant (also called “American eggplant). It’s the standard eggplant on the shelf at most grocery stores in the U.S.A. The recipe would also work with Italian eggplant which is similar in size, texture and flavor.
If your eggplant is stiff, it needs more time in the oven. If your eggplant is breaking because it’s mushy, you baked it for too long. You want to bake the eggplant long enough that it becomes soft and flexible. 10 minutes was perfect in our test ovens. If your eggplant still seems inflexible after 10 minutes, continue baking it for 2 minutes at a time until softened.
Any jarred or homemade marinara sauce will taste good on your homemade rollatini. If you’re using store bought sauce, double check the label to ensure you’re choosing a sauce with no added sugars.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Bacon Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats
- Keto Tuscan Chicken
- Avocado Tacos
- Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Crack Chicken Casserole
Eggplant Rollatini
This Eggplant Rollatini is low carb take on the classic Italian meal. Strips of eggplant are rolled with a cheesy garlic filling, then baked with marinara sauce for an easy meatless dinner idea!
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants, sliced lengthwise (¼-inch thick slices)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 ½ cup marinara sauce (sugar free)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange sliced eggplant on them. Season each side with salt and pepper.
- Bake eggplant in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool down completely.
- In a bowl, add ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic and basil. Mix completely.
- In another bowl, combine marinara sauce with tomato sauce.
- Add a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.
- When the eggplant is cooled down, spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta filling on the eggplant then roll. Arrange in the baking dish. Repeat until no eggplant is left.
- Cover eggplants with marinara sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt and get bubbly. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If desired, swap out ricotta cheese for either cottage cheese or cream cheese.
- Baking the eggplant slices allows it to soften for easy rolling.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 978mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 9gSugar: 14gProtein: 16g
Garlicky, cheesy and full of Italian flavor, this Eggplant Rollatini is a vegetarian keto recipe the whole family will love!
Maxine
Monday 23rd of October 2023
Why do you mix marinara with tomato sauce?