Stack it: Eggplant

So I was really craving eggplant rollatini. I used to get it from an Italian deli all the time in high school, and haven’t had it in years. Unfortunately, the eggplants I found weren’t long enough to do rolls. So instead of trying to replicate the recipe, I figured I would make my own eggplant meal! This meal lands somewhere between lasagna, eggplant parm, and eggplant rollatini.

RECIPE: Stick it: Eggplant
Makes 6 Stacks

SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Knife
Cutting Board
Paper towels
Cast iron pans
375 degree oven
Spatulas or spoons
Bowl
Spoon
Cheese Grater

INGREDIENTS:
Eggplants
Salt
Onion
Tomatoes
Garlic
Red Wine
Ricotta
Basil
Egg
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella

DIRECTIONS:
1) Slice the eggplant into rounds.
2) Lay the rounds on a paper towel and sprinkle liberally with salt! Let sit for 15 minutes before rinsing.
3) Place the eggplant in single layers and place in a 375 degree oven to roast it.
4) Chop onions and toss them into a heated cast iron pan.
5) Roughly chop up the tomatoes and add them to the cooking onions.
6) Dice up a few cloves of garlic and add half to the sauce, saving half for later.
7) Pour some red wine over the cooking sauce and stir as it simmers.
8) In a bowl, add a big scoop of ricotta.

9) Add the other half of the diced garlic to the ricotta.
10) Slice the basil into strips. 
11) Add the basil and half a cup or so of Parmesan cheese to the ricotta and then stir it until well combined.
12) Shred some mozzarella cheese. 
13) In an empty cast iron pan, spread a bit of the tomato sauce.
14) Lay down slices of eggplant and layer them with ricotta cheese, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and repeat.
15) Bake in the 375 degree oven until all the cheese is melted and browning

With 1 to 2 stacks being plenty filling for a dinner, this meal made plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. I can say that it reheats well and might be even better the next day!