How to make classic Italian Eggplant Involtini

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When I think of meals for summer, my mind often turns to the light and flavoursome classics of the Mediterranean kitchen. Today’s recipe, Eggplant Involtini or involtini di melanzane, is a gorgeously summery vegetarian dish, perfect for serving in the warmer months.

Table of Contents

Classic Italian Eggplant Involtini Involtini di melanzane

What is Eggplant Involtini?

Involtini is simply the Italian word for rolls, so is used to describe any food that is rolled up. In this case, we bake eggplant slices until meltingly soft, stuff them with a cheesy, herby mixture of ricotta, Parmesan and spinach and bake them in a lightly spicy tomato sauce.

Topped with gooey melted mozzarella, pine nuts and fresh basil, one bite of this classic Eggplant Involtini will transport you directly to Italy!

Instructions

I’ve given very detailed instructions which makes the recipe look more complicated than it really is, but it breaks down into three parts:

ROAST THE EGGPLANT: This is to soften it up and get it ready for rolling. Lots of older recipes call for frying eggplant, but I find it’s easier (not to mention healthier) to roast it in the oven instead, and it is just as delicious.
MAKE A TOMATO SAUCE: Homemade tomato sauce is so simple and tastes SO MUCH BETTER than store-bought. Not to mention, YOU get to decide what goes into it, so no strange preservatives or other chemicals.
MAKE THE CHEESY STUFFING: So easy, the stuffing is simply a matter of stirring together the ingredients, then rolling up and roasting. Trust me, this is so good.

The complete ingredient list and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Eggplant Involtini is a brilliant vegetarian meal

With grocery costs rising, eating a vegetarian meal here and there is not only good for you and the planet, but good for the wallet too! Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian, so if you are catering for true vegetarians be sure to use an animal-free alternative instead, or simply leave it out.

Vegetarian meals, like this one, are not only healthy for you – they are better for your wallet too!

make in advance

Recipes like this were invented in the heat of an Italian summer when the last thing anyone actually wants to be doing is sweating over the oven, so they’re all about prepping in advance. I like to get my Eggplant Involtini all made up in the cooler morning hours, so I can throw them in the oven and exit stage left just before lunchtime.

If you like, you could cook this recipe up to three days in advance and simply reheat it, covered loosely with foil, before serving.

I like to use baby spinach leaves in the stuffing. Not only are they delicious, they are super healthy too.

What to serve with Eggplant Involtini?

This is lazy summer eating at its best. I’d recommend nothing more complicated that some good white bread. If you’re going for a bit more of a feast, these involtini make a great addition to a summer BBQ.

Of course, a wonderfully Italian dish like this is delicious with a glass or two of Italian red, Chianti (straw basket optional), Sangiovese or Primitivo – that’s Zinfandel for all my American readers. Cin cin!

more Classic Italian recipes

Since living in Italy, the cucina Italiana has stolen my heart. Some of my favourites are Beef Shank Osso Bucco or Speck and Artichoke Risotto, but there are loads more – just search for ‘Italian’ to find more.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I don’t drink alcohol, can I leave it out of this recipe?

Of course. Simply replace it with the same amount of water.

I can’t get ricotta – is there an alternative?

Yes, you can use cream cheese or even cottage cheese with similar results. You can even try making your own cream cheese using my recipe here. If you don’t blend as in the recipe it you have a very simple homemade ricotta.

How long in advance can I make Eggplant Involtini?

Roughly three days, though as long as you have a good fridge they’ll be fine for another day or two at least.

Can I double or triple this recipe?

Go for it! Don’t forget to cook the sauce for longer, as the more liquid you have, the more time it will take to cook down.

This is a great recipe for preparing in advance, especially on a warm summer day. Served simply with good white bread and a bottle of red wine, this is Italy on a plate.

TO SALT, OR NOT SALT EGGPLANT?

Why don’t we salt eggplants anymore? Well, plenty of people do, and plenty of recipes still call for this step, but the simple fact is that salting eggplants is no longer necessary to remove bitterness.

Like most modern day fruit and vegetables, the eggplants we eat today have been specially bred to be tasty and not bitter (among other less exciting things like a long shelf life and hard to bruise skin).

We don’t have to salt the eggplant to draw out the bitterness anymore because they are not bitter in the first place!