Vegan ricotta cheese is one of my favorite things ever. Maybe you’ve been reading this blog for a while and noticed that I’m a big fan of stuffed shells, lasagna and ziti? I really love the stuff! Any time I make it I have a hard time not snacking on it right out of the food processor. Even though I love my vegan ricotta, I don’t always feel like pasta. I mean, vegan ricotta is pretty substantial on its own, as is pasta. Put the two together and you’ve got a pretty heavy meal. That’s where eggplant comes in!
What is Rollatini?
Rollatini is kind of like manicotti, but instead of pasta, you’re stuffing ricotta (in this case vegan ricotta) into rolled up pieces of eggplant, which is arguably even more delicious than pasta. Your stuffed eggplant then gets baked up in tomato sauce, and if you like, topped with some extra cheese, such as a shredded vegan mozzarella.
How to Make Vegan Eggplant Rollatini
You’ll need a big eggplant, and I recommend that you consider salting it, especially if you notice any browning when you slice it open.
Salt the Eggplant
Slice your eggplant into thin slabs then place them into a colander. Sprinkle your slabs very generously with salt and let the eggplant sit for at least 30 minutes. You should notice some droplets of water forming on the surface of your slices. After a half hour, rinse your eggplant very well. You’ll want to remove all of the salt. Then pat the slices dry.
Roast the Eggplant
Now brush your eggplant slices with olive oil. Arrange them on a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper and roast the eggplant for about 12 minutes. The goal here isn’t to fully cook the eggplant — you just want to soften it up so it’s easy to roll.
Make the Vegan Ricotta
Prepare your ricotta filling while the eggplant roasts. Start with some soaked raw cashews. Blend them up with a bit of non-dairy milk to create a paste. Add some tofu, lemon juice, garlic, onion, basil, Kalamata olives (optional, but I really love them in here), and salt. Pulse the food processor until the mixture is blended but chunky, like ricotta cheese.
Assemble the Rollatini
Ladle some marinara sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Grab a slice of eggplant and spoon a bit of your filling on top, about a half-inch from the end. Roll the eggplant tightly over the filling, then place the roll into your baking dish. Repeat this until you’ve stuffed all of your eggplant slices and used all of the filling. Bake your rollatini until the sauce is bubbly.
How to Serve Vegan Eggplant Rollatini
If you’d like, you can sprinkle your rollatini with some vegan shredded mozzarella during the last few minutes of baking, or top it with some vegan Parmesan cheese just before serving. I topped mine with toasted panko breadcrumbs to add a little crunch that’s reminiscent of eggplant Parm, without the frying! Just place some panko breadcrumbs in a skillet with a bit of olive oil, some garlic powder, and salt. Toast everything in the skillet over medium heat until your breadcrumbs begin to darken and smell toasty. Sprinkle your toasted panko on top and dig in!
Leftovers will keep for about 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge, or for about 3 months in the freezer. Make ahead option: the vegan ricotta cheese can be made up to a day in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Did you forget to soak your cashews? Boil them in water for 15 minutes instead. Can this dish be made gluten-free? Yes! Just omit the toasted panko or use a gluten-free variety of panko breadcrumbs to make them.
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