Eggplant rolls stuffed with cottage cheese and spinach

Eggplants are one of my favourite vegetables. At home, we like them battered, stuffed, in moussaka or parmesan. The recipe I present to you is another quick and easy way to prepare them, like a courgette cannelloni, filled with a whimsical mix of ricotta and spinach and served with a homemade tomato sauce flavoured with basil or lemon thyme.

It is ideal to prepare them in summer, when we have plenty of fresh natural tomatoes and eggplant; it is also a light dish to have as a starter for lunch or for a light dinner. The original recipe calls for ricotta but you can use cottage cheese if you prefer.

On these occasions when the dishes are so attractive, I use the skeppsthult cast iron pan because it allows me to serve the dish directly to the table, without having to transfer the rolls to a tray. It is one of my favorite pans because of its robustness and rusticity.

Skeppshult cast iron frying pan with wooden handle

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• 250 gr of ricotta or cottage cheese
• 60 gr of baby spinach leaves or spinach leaves
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small egg
• 500 gr of natural tomato, peeled and diced
• 4 tablespoons of oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• A few leaves of basil or lemon thyme
• Salt and pepper
• To serve: Parmesan Cheese

Elaboration

1. Prepare the tomato sauce. Lightly brown the garlic in the cast iron skillet with 4 tablespoons of oil and add the tomatoes and basil or thyme. Sauté for 20 to 30 minutes until the tomatoes have completely released their water and the tomato has become confit.

2. Roast the aubergines. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Slice the aubergines using a mandolin (or the Betty Bossi slicer ) and place them on a baking tray . Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 200ºC for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

3. Prepare the filling. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, parmesan and spinach leaves with a beaten egg. If the spinach is not baby, chop it lightly before proceeding to mix.

4. Fill the eggplants. Take a slice of eggplant and place a spoonful of filling on one end and roll it up like a cannelloni. Set aside and do the same with the rest.

5. Finish the dish. Place the eggplant rolls on top of the tomato sauce in the pan and heat for 7 to 10 minutes over low heat with the pan covered, so that the filling finishes cooking. Serve the pan directly to the table with a little grated parmesan on top. Enjoy.

Skeppshult cast iron frying pan with wooden handle