lil carb Eggplant Rollatini

Click above to watch me make this recipe!

My sister recently had her second baby!  Congratulations Lizzy and Zach!  After they had the lil booboo I decided to shower them with what I know best- Food. Ha!  When I am cooking a whole meal for other people the low carb lifestyle goes out the window.  I wanted to make them a big tray of comfort food.  Since I wasn't going to eat it I decided to make them stuffed shells.  The perfect dinner you can make ahead and keep in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to bake it.  I was trying to decide on whether to make the shells cheese or add meat sauce. Then I thought- why do I have to choose one or the other?!  Then the best ever filling was born by combining meat and cheese together! After my sister raved about this dish I was on a mission to make this low carb.. so- my lil carb Eggplant Rollatini was born! Lets celebrate all the wonderful births with the full recipe!!


lil carb Eggplant Rollatini- Makes 8 rolls
1/2 a medium sized eggplant- sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage- mild or hot
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella , divided
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
16-24 oz of marinara sauce- jarred or homemade
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Slice the eggplant, discard the first slice since it is all skin on one side.  I used a mandolin to make sure mine were all the same thickness.
Place them on a baking sheet either foiled lined and sprayed with non stick cooking spray OR use my fav kitchen tool- a silpat.  If you want to buy one go HERE! (No endorsement thats just the one I own!)
Bake the eggplant slices in the oven for 10 minutes. This will remove some of the moisture from the eggplant so we don't have a watery final dish and it makes the eggplant more pliable- easier to work with and roll.

While the eggplant bake, start on the filling. Saute the sausage until cooked- drain if necessary. Set aside and let cool.
In a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/8 cup parmesan cheese. Mix the mixture until everything is combined.  Then add in your cooked sausage and mix again.
Take the filling mixture and divide it in your bowl so it makes 8 even piles. I like to smooth out the mixture then score it with my spoon so each eggplant gets even amounts of filling.
Take an eggplant slice and spread 1/8 the mixture on each one.  Spread it over the eggplant leaving about 1 inch at the end with no filing. Starting at the other end roll them up.
**In a 8X8 baking dish pour in about 1 cup of marinara sauce ( I used fradiavolo for added spice!)

Place each eggplant roll seam side down until you have 2 rows of 4.


Top with the other 1/2 cup of mozzarella - lets be honest top with however much cheese you please!
I also like to spoon a little extra sauce on top before I add the cheese.
Then bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Then broil for 2 minutes to bubble up the cheese.
Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve it up with some chopped fresh parsley!  Enjoy!!

**You can also cook shell pasta to al dente and pipe this mixture right in then follow the recipe above!

***Complete this lil carb meal with a side salad! Thats what Jason and I did!