Involtini

 NY Times  

Yield 6 servings
Time1 hour 20 minutes
 

 Ingredients

  •  3 eggplants, about 1 pound each, trimmed and cut lengthwise into slices 1/4 inch thick (about 16 slices total)
  • ¾ cup olive oil, or as needed
  • 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes until plump, then drained
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
  • 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried mint
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ½ cups drained canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 large ball fresh mozzarella in 1/4-inch slices

Preparation

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a ridged cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and cook, turning, until soft and (if using a ridged pan) crisscrossed with grid marks. Set aside and allow to cool.
  • In a large bowl, combine feta, pine nuts, raisins, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, bread crumbs, garlic, lemon zest, mint and parsley. Mix in egg, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Spread eggplant slices on a surface, and divide stuffing evenly among them, placing 1 to 2 tablespoons at one end of each slice. Roll up slices tightly to secure filling, and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or other shallow baking pan in which rolls fit snugly in a single layer).
  • Pour crushed tomatoes on top of eggplant rolls. Arrange mozzarella slices in a line lengthwise down center of pan. Drizzle olive oil evenly over pan, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Bake until cheese has melted and eggplant is bubbling and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.