Spinach Feta & Olive Eggplant Rollatini with Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

A delicious creamy cheesy mixture of feta, cooked spinach, and salty briny olives filled and rolled inside of a meaty eggplant slice topped with a smokey sweet roasted red pepper sauce and baked for the perfect vegetarian dish.

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Spinach Feta & Olive Eggplant Rollatini with Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sauce


Ingredients

Units Scale

SAUCE

  • 14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 12 oz jar fire-roasted red peppers
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup red onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
  • 1012 fresh mint leaves
  • 45 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

FILLING

  • 5 oz whole milk ricotta
  • 18 oz block feta
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 pitted olives, finely chopped
  • 10 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 45 cups baby spinach, sauteed and water squeezed

2 large eggplant, 1/4 inch thick slices, about 16-20

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan


Instructions

  1. To make the sauce start with a large pot, over medium heat and add the olive oil.
  2. After about 30 seconds of heating the oil,  add in the smashed garlic and diced onion and bring the heat to medium low.
  3. Add the salt and pepper, stir occasionally and cook the onion until softened about 12 or so minutes
  4. Once the onion is cooked but not overly brown add in the tomatoes, pepper, herbs, and spice to simmer over low heat with a lid to cover for about 20-30 minutes.
  5. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes before removing the thyme stems. Then to a blender, add the sauce and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
  6. Next, preheat the oven to 400 F and grease a very large baking sheet with olive oil then add all the eggplant slices to the tray
  7. Bake the eggplant for about 5-6 minutes or until the edges just barely start to brown
  8. While the eggplant is cooking and then cooling after par-baking, prep the filling.
  9. To a bowl take a fork to the feta and crumble as fine as possible then stir in the ricotta, egg, herbs, olives, and spinach
  10. To a 9×9 deep dish baking pan, add about 1/2 cup to a 3/4 of sauce to cover the bottom
  11. Then take each slightly cooled eggplant slice, dolloping about 1-2 tablespoons of the filling at the wider side then roll. Repeat until you’re out of filling and eggplant and place into the prepped pan with the sauce.
  12. Add another cup or so of sauce on top then sprinkle with the parmesan on top
  13. Bake the rollatini for 16-20 minutes or until it is bubbling and golden brown on top (if it’s a rolling bubble with little golden brown on top then it may need to be placed underneath the broiler but watch VERY closely!)
  14. Let the rollatini cool for about 5 or so minutes before serving, enjoy 

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