Involtini (Eggplant Rolls)
By Caroline Cummins, from the Culinate Kitchen collection
| Serves | 4 |
| Total Time | 2 hours |
Introduction
This recipe, adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Nigella Bites, is basically a baked-eggplant casserole.
Ingredients
Sauce
| ~ | Olive oil | |
| 1 | onion, minced | |
| 2 | cloves garlic, minced | |
| 1 | tsp. dried oregano | |
| 5 | cups (or one 28-ounce can and one 14.5-ounce can) of peeled and crushed canned tomatoes (preferably whole tomatoes that you crush by hand) | |
| 2 | tsp. sugar | |
| ~ | Salt and pepper to taste |
Eggplant
| ~ | Olive oil | |
| 4 | large Italian eggplants (4 to 5 pounds total), ends removed, sliced thinly in vertical strips about ¼-inch thick |
Stuffing
| ~ | Olive oil | |
| ½ | cup bulgur wheat | |
| 1½ | cups boiling water | |
| 1 | tsp. dried oregano | |
| ¼ | cup pistachios, shelled and chopped | |
| 10 | oz. crumbled feta cheese, divided | |
| 1 | clove garlic, minced | |
| 2 | scallions, finely sliced | |
| 2 | Tbsp. capers | |
| 1 | egg | |
| ~ | Pinch of cinnamon |
Steps
- Make the sauce: In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, over low-to-medium heat, simmer the onion, garlic, and oregano in a bit of olive oil until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sugar; stir, cover, and turn down the heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, checking to make sure the sauce isn’t sticking or drying out. Season to taste and turn off the heat.
- Make the eggplant: While the sauce is simmering, brush the eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides and cook on a hot griddle or frying pans. (Grill marks are pretty, but you won’t notice them in the final dish; the important thing is that the eggplant becomes soft and browned fairly quickly.)
- If you intend to finish the dish the following day, stash cooked eggplant slices and tomato sauce (in separate containers) in the fridge till needed.
- Make the stuffing: Put the bulgur into a bowl, add the boiling water, and cover with a plate. Let sit for 30 minutes while, in a separate bowl, you mix together the oregano, pistachios, 7 ounces of the feta, garlic, scallions, capers, egg, and cinnamon. Drain the bulgur and mix it into the stuffing.
- Make the rolls: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour a little olive oil into a large ovenproof baking dish (2-quart capacity, or about 9-by-13-by-2 inches). Put a dollop of stuffing at one end of an eggplant strip and roll it up; place it in the baking dish. Repeat until all the eggplant and stuffing are gone. Pour the tomato sauce over the eggplant rolls and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 3 ounces of crumbled feta over the top. Let stand for 15 minutes, then serve warm.
This content is from the Culinate Kitchen collection.