Last Updated on April 14, 2025 by Kiersten James, BS, RN
Italian eggplant rollatini is a Long Island classic for holidays and Lent. This is the best and only recipe you’ll ever need, trust me.
If you grew up on Long Island, especially around a lot of Italian-American families, there’s a good chance you know what eggplant rollatini is. It’s one of those dishes that always shows up – weddings, holidays, catered events, Lent, you name it. It’s warm, cheesy, saucy, and somehow feels both rich and light at the same time.
This is the tray of food you bring when you know someone is vegetarian and having a baby, funeral, or houseful of guests for Sunday dinner. It’s meatless, easy to make ahead, and comforting enough to satisfy just about anyone at the table (even carnivores like my husband).
I serve it over angel hair pasta, but it can also hold its own alongside slow-simmered meatballs at the holidays.
During Lent, eggplant rollatini is a staple Friday dinner for us in rotation with homemade pizza, penne alla vodka, linguine with clam sauce, flounder oreganata, or coconut chickpea lentil curry. If you prep a double tray and freeze one, you’ve got a homemade dinner ready to go for any busy week.
What Is Eggplant Rollatini?
Eggplant rollatini is a classic Italian-American dish made by slicing eggplant lengthwise, cooking the slices until tender, and then rolling them up around a creamy ricotta filling.
The rolls are then lined up in a tray of tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella, and baked until bubbly and golden.
It’s a comfort food, a feast food, and a family food all in one.
Tips for Recipe Success
- Choose firm, slender eggplants so your slices roll easily and don’t have too many seeds
- Take your time slicing the eggplant so that they are thin and even throughout
- Don’t overstuff the rolls. A tablespoon of filling is usually enough
- Let the dish rest after baking for 15 minutes untouched so the rolls stay intact when serving
Make Ahead & Freezer Tips
You can assemble the entire tray of eggplant rollatini up to two days in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake.
To freeze (unbaked or baked), wrap the tray tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. It will keep very well this way for up to 2 months. If baking straight from frozen, add 15–20 minutes to your baking time.
Never put a frozen glass tray into a hot oven or the dish will explode. Freeze the rollatini a disposable sterno tray instead.
The Eggplant Must Be Peeled to Remove Toxins
Eggplant skin contains specific proteins that can trigger reactions in some people including itching, swelling, hives, or nausea/vomiting and cramping.
Salicylates: Naturally occurring compound found in eggplant as well as many other fruits and vegetables. For those sensitive to salicylates, even a small amount can cause issues, particularly when the skin is left on. Peeling the eggplant helps reduce both the protein load and salicylate exposure, making it safe to eat.
Solanine: A bitter alkaloid found in all nightshades. In large amounts, solanine can cause near immediate nausea, vomiting, or cramping. Even though it’s rare, I have a family member who this effects. As long as the eggplant is peeled, they can eat it without any problem.
Most of the solanine is concentrated in the skin and just underneath it. Peeling the eggplant improves the tenderness of the dish and also lowers the chances of stomach upset.
How to Make Italian Eggplant Rollatini
Ingredients:
- 1 large firm eggplant, peeled
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup pecorino romano, grated
- 16oz red sauce or Rao’s brand Tomato Basil jar sauce
- Garlic powder
- 1lb angel hair pasta
For The Filling:
- 1 cup ricotta, whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1.5 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced by hand
- 1/4 cup pecorino romano, grated – Locatelli brand
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Crushed red pepper
- Pecorino romano, grated
- Fresh herbs like parsley or basil if in season
Instructions:
Wash and peel the eggplant. Cut the top and bottom off, then slice lengthwise into 1/4″ cutlet-like slices. To cut back on dishes, you can peel and mince the garlic cloves for the filling on the same cutting board.
In a medium-sized bowl, scramble 3 eggs and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1.5 teaspoons of dried parsley.
Coat the bottom of a large pan or electric skillet with olive oil, about 1/4 cup or so. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil ripples.
Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, pour the breadcrumbs for dredging.
Dip each eggplant slice into the seasoned egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs to coat both sides.
Fry the eggplant slices in batches. Cook each batch for 4 minutes on one side, flip with tongs, then 4 minutes on the other side. Remove cooked pieces of eggplant to drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
In a medium mixing bowl (you can use the bowl the seasoned egg mixture was in), prepare the rollatini filling by combining freshly minced garlic, ricotta, one egg, pecorino romano, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Gently mix with the back of a spoon until well combined.
In a 9×13 baking dish, spoon a small amount of red sauce into the bottom of the dish.
Add about one tablespoon of filling mixture to each eggplant slice and roll starting from the short end. Press in any filling that oozes out of the sides with your fingers.
Place the eggplant roll seam side down in the dish. Repeat until all slices are rolled up and in the dish. It’s okay to crowd and get in as many rolls as you can.
Spoon red sauce over the eggplant slices until they are well coated. Add a bit of garlic powder over the red sauce.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes.
At 20 minutes, remove the dish and take off the foil. Sprinkle a heavy-handed amount of sliced or shredded mozzarella over all of the eggplant rolls.
I prefer to buy the block of whole milk mozzarella and slice it by hand. The pre-shredded cheese has stabilizers in it that cause it not to melt as well as fresh cheese. Add about 1/4 cup pecorino romano over the mozzarella.
Draw up a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
Boil the angel hair for 3 minutes, then drain in a fine mesh strainer. Return the pasta to the pot with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to prevent clumping.
Place the dish back into the oven for 15 minutes, uncovered. Turn the broiler to “low” and broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.
Remove the eggplant rollatini from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes to allow juices to settle before serving.
Serve the rollatini over angel hair pasta with crushed red pepper, freshly grated Locatelli, and garden herbs if they’re in season.
To Make For a Party:
Multiply this recipe by 6 to fill a full sterno tray.
Keeps very well and can be made a few days in advance, then reheated at 350F covered with foil on the day of the party.
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Save It For Later!
Italian Eggplant Rollatini (Long Island Style)
Ingredients
- 1 large firm eggplant, peeled
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup pecorino romano, grated
- 16oz red sauce or Rao's brand Tomato Basil jar sauce
- Garlic powder
- 1lb angel hair pasta
For The Filling:
- 1 cup ricotta, whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1.5 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced by hand
- 1/4 cup pecorino romano, grated - Locatelli brand
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Crushed red pepper
- Pecorino romano, grated
- Fresh herbs like parsley or basil if in season
Instructions
- Wash and peel the eggplant. Cut the top and bottom off, then slice lengthwise into 1/4" cutlet-like slices. To cut back on dishes, you can peel and mince the garlic cloves for the filling on the same cutting board.
- In a medium-sized bowl, scramble 3 eggs and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1.5 teaspoons of dried parsley.
- Coat the bottom of a large pan or electric skillet with olive oil, about 1/4 cup or so. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil ripples.
- Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, pour the breadcrumbs for dredging.
- Dip each eggplant slice into the seasoned egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs to coat both sides.
- Fry the eggplant slices in batches. Cook each batch for 4 minutes on one side, flip with tongs, then 4 minutes on the other side. Remove cooked pieces of eggplant to drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
- In a medium mixing bowl (you can use the bowl the seasoned egg mixture was in), prepare the rollatini filling by combining freshly minced garlic, ricotta, one egg, pecorino romano, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Gently mix with the back of a spoon until well combined.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, spoon a small amount of red sauce into the bottom of the dish.
- Add about one tablespoon of filling mixture to each eggplant slice and roll starting from the short end. Press in any filling that oozes out of the sides with your fingers.
- Place the eggplant roll seam side down in the dish. Repeat until all slices are rolled up and in the dish. It's okay to crowd and get in as many rolls as you can.
- Spoon red sauce over the eggplant slices until they are well coated. Add a bit of garlic powder over the red sauce.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes.
- At 20 minutes, remove the dish and take off the foil. Sprinkle a heavy-handed amount of shredded mozzarella over all of the eggplant rolls. Add about 1/4 cup pecorino romano over the mozzarella.
- Draw up a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
- Boil the angel hair for 3 minutes, then drain in a fine mesh strainer. Return the pasta to the pot with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to prevent clumping.
- Place the dish back into the oven for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Turn the broiler to "low" and broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.
- Remove the eggplant rollatini from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes to allow juices to settle before serving.
- Serve the rollatini over angel hair pasta with crushed red pepper, freshly grated Locatelli, and garden herbs if they're in season.
- Multiply this recipe by 6 to fill a full sterno tray. Keeps very well and can be made a few days in advance, then reheated at 350F covered with foil on the day of the party.
