Eggplant Involtini with Ricotta, Tomato and Rosemary Breadcrumbs

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 large purple eggplant
Salt
Olive oil
500g ricotta
Zest of ½ a lemon
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
30g grated parmiggiano Reggiano + more for garnish

200g grated mozzarella cheese
Black pepper

Cherry tomato sauce*:

1.2 kg cherry tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh basil + more for rolling the involtini
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
40g butter

Breadcrumbs:

¾ cup fresh sourdough or dried panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
Rosemary leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped

*Feel free to use your favourite tomato sauce if you want to skip this step

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200C conventional (180 fan-forced).

To make the cherry tomato sauce, place the washed and de-stemmed cherry tomatoes in a roasting dish with the garlic cloves, sprigs of basil, salt, black pepper and olive oil.  Roast at 180C for 45-60 minutes until the tomatoes appear blistered, soft and like they have released their liquid.  Remove from the oven and push through a moullé or through a mesh sieve (nothing too fine though!) to remove the skins and seeds. Add the butter to the hot sauce and allow it to melt into it.

Trim the stem end of the eggplant and cut the eggplant into 1cm thick slices.  Lay them on a bench or board and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Allow to sit for several minutes until you see liquid coming out of them and then dry with paper towel on both sides.  Brush generously with olive oil and place on parchment lined trays.  Bake or grill until they are tender and a bit browned but not falling apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping them over half way through the cook time. When finished, allow them to cool.

To make the ricotta filling, combine the ricotta in a bowl with the grated parmiggiano, salt, black pepper, lemon zest and thyme.  Stir until well mixed.  Set aside.

Increase your oven temperature to 220 conventional (200C fan forced).

Spoon 1/3rd of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.  Take 1 slice of eggplant and place it on your board.  Take a spoonful of the filling and place it at one end of the eggplant with a fresh basil leaf and roll it up so it encapsulates the ricotta.  Place it seam side down in the tomato sauce.  Repeat with all the eggplant.  You should have about 16-18 slices depending on the size of the eggplant. Drizzle another 1/3rd of the tomato sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle the grated mozzarella over the top.

Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until everything is golden brown and bubbly (a minute or two under the grill or broiler might help speed this along too if your oven is a little slow).

Toss the breadcrumbs with the olive oil and rosemary and sprinkle it over the eggplant once it has browned. Bake for a further 5-10 minutes so the crumbs get browned and crispy.   

Serve with a spoonful of the extra cherry tomato sauce (warm it up if its gone cold) plus extra parmiggiano Reggiano and basil, if you like.  Serve hot.