Eggplant ribbons rolled around lemony ricotta and spinach, baked in tomato sauce under mozzarella — a comfort veggie dinner at 32g protein.
Per serving
Lay the eggplant ribbons in a single layer on a wire rack or paper-towel-lined tray. Sprinkle both sides with 3/4 tsp of the salt and rest for 30 minutes — they will bead with brown moisture. Blot very dry with paper towels.
While the eggplant rests, heat the oven to 200 °C fan / 220 °C conventional. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Brush the blotted eggplant ribbons on both sides with the olive oil. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared sheets. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point, until they are flexible, mostly tender, and lightly golden at the edges — still firm enough to roll but no longer raw-stiff. Cool slightly so they are easy to handle.
While the eggplant bakes, mix the ricotta, eggs, vegetarian Italian hard cheese, drained spinach, grated garlic, lemon zest, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, and the black pepper in a large bowl until evenly combined. The mixture should be thick enough to hold a furrow when scraped with a spoon — if it slumps, drain the ricotta further.
Spread half the marinara (about 200g) in the bottom of a 20 x 30 cm baking dish.
Dollop about half of the ricotta filling (around 540g) in spoonfuls across the marinara, then spread to a thin even layer with the back of a spoon — this is the base layer that anchors the rolls.
Place an eggplant ribbon on a clean board. Scoop a generous 2 to 3 tablespoons (about 40g) of the remaining filling onto the wider end, then roll up snugly into a cylinder. Sit seam-side down on top of the filling base layer. Repeat with the remaining ribbons and filling — you should have 12 rolls. Tuck them together in three rows of four.
Spoon the remaining marinara over the rolls so the tops are mostly covered. Scatter the grated mozzarella evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 28 to 32 minutes, until the marinara bubbles hard at the centre and the mozzarella is blistered golden-brown in patches. Rest 5 minutes, then scatter the torn basil over the top and serve.
Don't skip the salt-rest step — wet eggplant turns the filling watery and the rolls fall apart. The pre-bake is what makes the ribbons rollable; if they crack, give them 1 to 2 more minutes. A 20x30 cm dish is the right size for four servings of three rolls each.
Keeps 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, or 2 months in the freezer. Reheat covered in a 180 °C oven for 12 minutes, or in the microwave at 70% power for 3 minutes per serving.
