How To Make Sicilian Eggplant Rolls: A Simple Yet Delicious Appetizer (VIDEO)
Sicilian Eggplant Rolls (Eggplant Rollatini) are a simple yet delicious appetizer option that can be prepared quickly. By stuffing thin slices of eggplant with a Sicilian breadcrumb-based filling, you can create a light and flavorful appetizer that is satisfying yet not overly heavy. The breadcrumb stuffing adds textural contrast to the soft eggplant and also helps bind the filling while baking, ensuring the rolls hold their shape nicely. With fresh, simple ingredients and big flavor, these rolls elevate ordinary vegetables into something truly delicious.
Whether served at an elegant dinner party or a casual weeknight gathering with friends and family, eggplant rolls are a versatile appetizer that can be enjoyed by all. Their ease of preparation also makes them practical for busy home cooks seeking a tasty appetizer that comes together in a short amount of time without much fuss.
Seriously, try making these – your friends will go crazy for them!
Best Sicilian Eggplant Roll Recipe
I have a friend from Sicily, and she makes the best eggplant rolls I have ever eaten. She’s really into eggplants and uses them in all sorts of dishes. Even people who say they don’t like eggplants end up loving what she makes with them! Everything comes out so tasty.
I think of her every time I make this family specialty, and I hope it brings you and your loved ones as much joy as it has brought mine. I’m telling you, once you try this easy appetizer recipe, Sicilian eggplant rolls will become a new family favorite!
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 2 eggplants, washed and dried
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled
- 150 ml water (2/3 cup)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 150 g breadcrumbs (5¼ oz)
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- 150 g Mozzarella cheese, diced (5¼ oz)
- 80 g diced ham (2¾ oz)
- 2–3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
How To Make Sicilian Eggplant Rolls
Remove the stems from the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into slices approximately 3-4 mm thick. Place the slices in a single layer in a pan and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook over high heat until golden brown on both sides (1).
In a non-stick pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic clove and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Remove garlic and pour in the water and tomato paste (2). Continue cooking for 8–10 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to incorporate into the tomato sauce (3). Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the breadcrumbs are toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in chopped fresh parsley and salt to taste.
Lay an eggplant slice on a cutting board. Top with a portion of the breadcrumb-tomato mixture. Place a small cube of cheese and a few small cubes of ham on top (4). Roll up the eggplant slice to enclose the filling (5). Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices and filling.
Lightly coat a baking dish with olive oil. Arrange the rolled eggplant in a single layer. Drizzle with a small amount of additional olive oil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese (6).
Bake in a preheated convection oven at 200°C (392 °F) for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Serve the Sicilian Eggplant Rollatini immediately while hot.
Sicilian Eggplant Rolls Video Recipe
Sicilian Rollatini Tips & Tricks
- You can avoid adding the garlic or ham if you prefer
- You can use the cheese you prefer for these rolls. I added mozzarella, but you can also use semi-matured caciocavallo, to prevent excessive melting during baking.
How To Store Eggplant Rolls
The eggplant rolls can be kept for 2–3 days in the refrigerator covered with cling film or in a closed container. You will have to heat them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 160 °C (320 °F) before bringing them back to the table.
How To Make Sicilian Eggplant Rolls: A Simple Yet Delicious Appetizer (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants washed and dried
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic peeled
- 150 ml water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 150 g breadcrumbs
- Fresh parsley chopped
- 150 g Mozzarella cheese diced
- 80 g diced ham
- 2 –3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Remove the stem from the eggplants and cut them into slices 3-4 mm thick lengthwise.
- Add to a pan, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook over high heat until golden on both sides.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic clove, the water and the tomato paste in a non-stick pan.
- Cook for a few minutes over medium heat, then remove garlic.
- Add the breadcrumbs and stir so that it blends in with the tomato sauce, then toast for a few minutes in the pan.
- Turn off the heat, add chopped parsley and salt to taste and stir.
- Place a grilled eggplant slice on a cutting board. Top with a mixture of breadcrumbs and tomato. Add a cube of cheese and a few small cubes of ham. Roll the eggplant over the filling to form a roll. Repeat this process with the remaining eggplant slices.
- Lightly coat a baking dish with olive oil. Arrange the eggplant rolls in a single layer in the dish. Drizzle a small amount of additional olive oil over the rolls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
- Bake in a preheated ventilated oven at 200°C (392 °F) for about 15 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted.
- Serve the Sicilian Eggplant Rolls while hot.
