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+ servings
A vegan eggplant rollatini rests on a bed of green baby spinach.
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Vegan Eggplant Rollatini

Author - Gena Hamshaw
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

Rollatini

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large eggplant (sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices)
  • 15 ounces extra firm tofu (pressed lightly)
  • 10 ounces frozen spinach (thawed and drained thoroughly—I press mine through a fine sieve)
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

"In a hurry" tomato sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups  diced or crushed tomatoes (1 28-ounce can)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Handful of coarsely chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400F. Place eggplant slices onto baking sheets and sprinkle well with sea salt or kosher salt. Let sit for 30 minutes; this decreases bitterness and removes excess moisture. Pat the slices dry with paper towels, and then brush them lightly with the oil. Transfer the eggplant slices to the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until they're tender and browning, flipping the slices once halfway through.
  • While eggplant cooks, transfer tofu to a bowl and crumble it with hands. Add the spinach, nutritional yeast, salt, basil, oregano, garlic, and pepper. Mix everything well with hands, crumbling it through your fingers till it resembles a bowl of crumbly ricotta cheese.
  • Make the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the garlic till fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and sweetener. Heat thoroughly. Toss in basil at the end, and then remove the sauce from heat.
  • When eggplant is finished, allow the slices to cool until they can be handled. Transfer them to a a cutting board and add about 3 tbsp of the ricotta mixture to the end of one side. Roll them up completely from that side, and then place them, seam down, in a rectangular or oval baking dish (I used a 7" x 11" dish).
  • Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Smother the eggplant rolls with tomato sauce, and bake, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes, or until hot. Serve with a fresh salad or other vegetable accompaniments.