Eggplant Involtini

I'm sure this is stating the obvious, I love good food and I love to cook. I'm not sure which came first, but at this point they seem to go hand-in-hand. So, it might not surprise you that when my husband asked what I'd like to do for my birthday, which was a few days ago, I said, let's cook a multi-course Italian dinner together! Eggplant involtini was the main course of our Italian feast. It consists of thinly sliced baked eggplant stuffed with wilted greens and ricotta, served over a homemade tomato sauce. Delicious!

Adapted from Ashley Hughes's rotolo recipe. I was looking for a way to make the rotolo gluten-free and decided to use eggplant slices in lieu of pasta, which turns out is involtini!

2 firm medium eggplants
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
160 g. mixed baby spinach and arugula
1 1/2 c. ricotta (homemade recipe)
pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp. each salt & pepper
1/2 c. old cheddar cheese, grated
20 chestnuts, cooked or vacuum packed (optional)

Tomato Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
pinch sugar
400 g. tin diced tomatoes
salt, pepper & crushed chili flakes to taste

Preheat the oven to 170 C/350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the stems and cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices - you'll end up with about 16 total. Using two teaspoons of oil, lightly brush both sides of the slices with canola oil and lay on the baking sheets in a single layer. Sprinkle each baking sheet of eggplant with one pinch of salt. Bake until soft, about 20-25 minutes, turning midway.

In a frying pan, heat one teaspoon of oil over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes then add the greens. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until wilted. Remove from the heat and roughly chop. Combine with the ricotta and stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper.

In a lightly greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish, combine the ingredients for the tomato sauce. Create the involtini by placing two tablespoons of ricotta filling at one end of each eggplant slice and rolling it tightly. Place the roll seam side down in the baking dish on top of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with chestnuts and grated cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until hot and bubbling.