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Grilled Italian Eggplant Rollatini
Four-cheese filling, homemade marinara, creamy, delicious rollatini.

Ing Marinara: 2 tbls evo 2 tsp freshly minced garlic 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 3 tbl minced fresh basil K/s/p Rollatini: 1 c whole milk ricotta 1 c grated mozzarella, divided 1/3 c grated sharp provolone 2/3 c grated Parm 1 lge egg 1/4 c minced fresh basil, plus garnish 2 lge eggplant in 1/4" slices 1/3 c evo K/s/p

Directions Marinara: cook oil, garlic, red pepper flakes on med heat til fragrant, bubbles form around garlic, 30-60 sec. Stir in crushed tomatoes, btb, simmer til slightly thickened, about 20 min. Offheat stir in basil. Season. Set aside. Rollatini: Whisk ricotta, 1/3 c mozzarella, provolone, 1/3 c parm, egg, 1/4 cup basil. Set aside.

Brush eggplant w/ oil; season. Grill browned, 2-3 min per side. Transfer to tray or cutting board. Place heaping tbl ricotta filling on wider end and rollup. Repeat w/ rest. Layer in b/dish thin layer of marinara, eggplant rolls, rest mozzarella and parm. Place on cool side of grill, foil, and cook til cheese melts, 15 min. Remove, garnish w/ basil, and serve.

Notes--starts with eggplant slices tender and browned, then returned to grill as rollatini in covered baking dish, just long enough to melt cheese, marinara is heated through. Eggplant slices 1/4 inch thick are sturdy enough to hold together on the grill yet thin enough to rollup. Mixing provolone into filling adds a nice sharpness that's balanced by the creamy and mellow ricotta. Finishing over indirect fire makes great use of the remaining grill heat.

We have a local Italian restaurant in our little town, where the owners were direct from Italy and settled here. Now the daughter and son in law run it. They make eggplant rollatinis that look just like the recipe you’ve posted. It’s one of only a few restaurants that we go to when I don’t feel like cooking, which isn’t often, but even I like a break from it sometimes. We order the rollatini every time as an appetizer. You get 4 of them for $12 now. Used to be less. I’m sure it could be made for less in my own home, but not by much. It’s a delicious way to have eggplant!

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1. Kale
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3. Beets
In addition to their vibrant color and earthy flavor, beets add a host of health benefits to your daily juice. In terms of nutrition, beets are packed with manganese, potassium, and folate (10Trusted Source). They’re also high in nitrates, a type of natural plant compound with powerful health effects. In fact, studies show that nitrate-rich beetroot juice may improve blood pressure, as well as athletic and mental performance.

Beets make a delicious addition to juices but their leafy green tops — beet greens — are highly nutritious and can be juiced as well. Beets are a good source of manganese, potassium, folate, and nitrates, which may help lower blood pressure and improve athletic performance and brain health.