Eggplant Rollantini

When I tell my family I’m making Eggplant Rollatini, they come running over!!! This is hands down one of the most delicious dishes and one of my all-time favorites. Growing up in an Italian family with grandparents from Sicily, this dish was always close to our hearts and around our table.

Rollatini, especially eggplant rollatini, is an Italian-American classic that evolved from the traditional Italian involtini, thin slices of meat or vegetables rolled around a filling. While its roots come from Southern Italian and Sicilian peasant cooking, the version we know today became popular here in America. Back then, eggplant was much cheaper and easier to get than veal or chicken, so families made magic out of simple ingredients like eggplant, ricotta, mozzarella, and homemade sauce.

In our house, we use Sunday gravy (sauce) because that’s how we grew up eating it, but you can absolutely use marinara if you want a lighter version. Either way, this dish is pure comfort food and tastes even better when shared with family gathered around the table.