Cheesy Mediterranean eggplant cannelloni

A surprising vegetarian twist on classic cannelloni. That's the best way to describe these eggplant rolls, filled with a creamy blend of Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan. The rich tomato sauce with a hint of chili and fresh basil turns this dish into a true Mediterranean delight. Perfect for a summer lunch or a light dinner-and completely vegetarian! So don't hesitate-get started with these healthy cheesy Mediterranean eggplant cannelloni.

How to make cheesy Mediterranean eggplant cannelloni?

This Mediterranean baked dish does take some time, but it's not difficult. And while the oven does its work, you can already start on the aperitif!

Making the tomato sauce

We start with the tomato sauce because we want it to simmer for about half an hour.

First, crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a kitchen knife. Remove the skin, then finely chop them.

Next, prepare the onion. Trim off the ends and peel it, then chop it into small pieces.

Now, tackle the spicy chili pepper. Remove the stem and cut it in half lengthwise. If you don't like spicy heat, remove the seeds now. Prefer a bit more kick? Leave the seeds in and finely chop the chili, seeds and all.

Finally, chop the tomatoes. Do this last because it releases juice and seeds. Cut each tomato into 8 wedges, then chop those into 2 or 3 smaller pieces, depending on your preference and the size of the tomatoes.

Heat some olive oil in a pot. Sauté the onion, garlic, and chili pepper. Then, add the tomatoes.

Let everything simmer gently for about half an hour. Stir in the oregano, and season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

If you like, you can partially replace the fresh tomatoes with chopped canned tomatoes or passata. In that case, the sauce will be slightly thinner.

Preparing the Mediterranean filling

While the tomato sauce simmers, we can prepare the filling for the eggplant rolls.

First, cut the Mozzarella into small pieces. Then, finely chop the baby spinach and basil.

Now, mix the spinach and basil with the three cheeses: Mozzarella, Ricotta, and grated Parmesan. Add a tablespoon of mustard and season with pepper. Important: Set aside about a quarter of the mozzarella and Parmesan-we'll use these later to finish the baked dish.

Preparing the eggplant

The final preparatory step is slicing and pan-frying the eggplant slices.

First, remove the green leaves from the eggplant. Then, cut the eggplant into thin slices, about a few millimeters thick. We won't need the end pieces.

In a large pan with a bit of olive oil, quickly fry the eggplant slices until they soften and take on some color. This will make them easy to roll into cannelloni later. Frying for about one minute on each side is enough.

Baking the cheesy Mediterranean eggplant cannelloni

Now that all the ingredients are prepped, all that's left is to assemble the dish and let it bake in the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Start by spreading a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of your baking dish.

Next, take some of the spinach-cheese filling and roll it up in a slice of eggplant. Place it in the baking dish and repeat until all the eggplant slices are filled.

Now, pour the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant cannelloni. Top it off with the reserved Mozzarella and grated Parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden.

After 30 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and let it cool slightly. Serve the cheesy Mediterranean eggplant cannelloni with fresh field greens and a piece of crusty bread.

Use eggplant rolls or cannelloni?

Cannelloni are large, tube-shaped pasta traditionally stuffed and then baked in the oven. You can immediately see the parallel with our rolled eggplant slices. This pasta is a staple in the regions of Campania (near Naples) and Emilia-Romagna. The word "cannello" in Italian means "large reed" or "tube."

In this recipe, we've replaced the classic cannelloni with rolled eggplant slices. This not only makes the dish vegetarian, but also gluten-free.

More surprising.eggplant

Eggplants are fantastic vegetables to cook with. They're a staple ingredient in both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. Discover more surprising eggplant recipes in the following articles:

• Eggplant patty in a beefsteak tomato.
• Stuffed eggplant with minced poultry.
• Eggplant pizza with tomato and cheese.
• Moutabal - Jordanian eggplant dip.
• Tomato - eggplant - lentil curry.

If you speak Dutch, you can find the Dutch version of this recipe on gerechtenweb.blog.