Chef Graziella
Caponata Siciliana
The great sweet-sour eggplant dish of Sicily, where each vegetable is fried separately then united in a tomato sauce sharpened with vinegar and softened with a little sugar. This is not a recipe to rush.
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Involtini di Melanzane
Created by
Sicilian eggplant rolls stuffed with sheep's milk ricotta and Pecorino, baked in simple tomato sauce until the edges bubble and the mozzarella browns. Summer in a baking dish.
Main Dishes
Italian, Sicilian
Weeknight
Comfort Food
1 hr
Active Time
45 min cook•1 hr 45 min total
Yield4 servings (12 rolls)
Sicily understands eggplant better than anywhere else in Italy. The Arabs who ruled the island for two centuries brought the melanzana with them, and Sicilian cooks have been transforming it ever since. Involtini are the proof of this mastery: thin slices of grilled eggplant rolled around creamy ricotta, nestled in tomato sauce, baked until everything melds into one thing.
This is cucina povera at its most satisfying. No meat, no pretense, nothing that costs more than a few coins at the market. What you need is ripe eggplant, good ricotta (sheep's milk if you can find it, as they use in Sicily), and tomatoes that taste like summer. The technique is simple. Salt your eggplant, grill it properly, roll it with care, bake it with attention.
Americans often treat vegetarian Italian food as lesser, as something missing the main event. Sicilians know better. When vegetables are the center of the plate, they receive the cook's full attention. Nothing is an afterthought. These involtini are not a substitute for meat. They are complete in themselves.
Eggplant arrived in Sicily with the Arab conquest of the 9th century and transformed the island's cuisine over the following centuries. Sicilian cooks developed dozens of preparations, from caponata to pasta alla Norma, but involtini represent the dish at its most refined. The rolled format likely evolved from meat preparations but became a thing unto itself in the hands of home cooks who understood that eggplant needed no apology.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
globe eggplants
Quantity
2 large (about 2 pounds total)
kosher salt
Quantity
for drawing moisture
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/4 cup, plus more for brushing
whole milk ricotta
Quantity
1 pound
drained
Pecorino Romano
Quantity
1/2 cup
freshly grated
large egg
Quantity
1
lightly beaten
fresh basil leaves
Quantity
1/4 cup, plus more for finishing
torn
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
tomato passata or crushed San Marzano tomatoes
Quantity
2 cups
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
peeled and lightly crushed
fresh mozzarella
Quantity
4 ounces
torn into small pieces
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| globe eggplants | 2 large (about 2 pounds total) |
| kosher salt | for drawing moisture |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/4 cup, plus more for brushing |
| whole milk ricottadrained | 1 pound |
| Pecorino Romanofreshly grated | 1/2 cup |
| large egglightly beaten | 1 |
| fresh basil leavestorn | 1/4 cup, plus more for finishing |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
| tomato passata or crushed San Marzano tomatoes | 2 cups |
| garlic clovespeeled and lightly crushed | 2 |
| fresh mozzarellatorn into small pieces | 4 ounces |
Equipment Needed
- •Grill pan or large cast iron skillet
- •9-by-13-inch baking dish
- •Wire rack and sheet pan for salting
Instructions
- 1
Slice and salt the eggplant
Trim the ends from each eggplant and slice lengthwise into planks about one-quarter inch thick. You want 12 good slices, so cut from the widest part of each eggplant and save the narrow end pieces for another use. Lay the slices on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and salt both sides generously. Let them weep for 30 minutes. The salt draws out bitter moisture and collapses the spongy flesh so it absorbs less oil.
Do not skip the salting. Unsalted eggplant drinks oil like a sponge and remains bitter. This is a step that separates competent cooking from careless cooking. - 2
Make the tomato sauce
While the eggplant weeps, warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and let it sizzle gently until fragrant, about one minute. The garlic must not brown. Add the passata, season lightly with salt, and simmer for 15 minutes. The sauce should thicken slightly and lose its raw edge. Remove and discard the garlic. Taste and adjust salt.
- 3
Prepare the filling
In a bowl, combine the drained ricotta, grated Pecorino, beaten egg, and torn basil. Season with black pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir until smooth and uniform. The mixture should hold together when scooped. If your ricotta was watery and the mixture seems loose, add another tablespoon of Pecorino.
Ricotta must be drained. Set it in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl for at least one hour, or overnight in the refrigerator. Wet ricotta makes soggy involtini that fall apart in the baking dish. - 4
Grill the eggplant
Heat a grill pan or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the eggplant slices thoroughly dry with paper towels, pressing firmly. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Grill in batches until tender and marked with char lines, about 3 minutes per side. The slices should be pliable enough to roll without cracking. Transfer to a plate as they finish.
Grilling is preferable to frying for this dish. It keeps the eggplant light and adds a faint smokiness that complements the creamy filling. If you must fry, use a light hand with the oil. - 5
Roll the involtini
Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or a dish that holds the rolls snugly. Lay an eggplant slice on your work surface. Place about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling at the wider end. Roll the eggplant around the filling, not too tight, and place seam-side down in the sauce. Repeat with remaining slices, nestling them close together.
- 6
Sauce and bake
Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls, leaving some of the eggplant visible. Scatter the torn mozzarella over the top. Bake uncovered until the sauce bubbles vigorously around the edges and the mozzarella is melted and beginning to brown in spots, about 25 minutes. The filling should be set and heated through.
- 7
Rest and serve
Let the dish rest for 5 minutes out of the oven. The sauce will settle and the rolls will hold together better when served. Scatter fresh torn basil over the top. Serve three rolls per person, spooning extra sauce from the dish over each portion. This is a complete meal. Bread for the sauce is not optional.
Chef Tips
- •Globe eggplants work best here because of their size and shape. Italian eggplants are too narrow for proper rolling. Japanese eggplants are too small. Use what gives you broad, workable slices.
- •The rolls should fit snugly in the baking dish, touching one another. This helps them hold their shape and creates a unified dish rather than scattered pieces. A dish slightly too small is better than one too large.
- •Sicilians would use ricotta salata, a pressed and aged sheep's milk ricotta, in the filling. If you can find it, use half ricotta salata (grated) and half fresh ricotta. The flavor is incomparable.
- •These reheat well. Cover with foil and warm in a 325-degree oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. The flavors improve overnight as they often do with baked dishes.
Advance Preparation
- •The tomato sauce can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated.
- •The eggplant can be salted, grilled, and cooled up to one day ahead. Refrigerate in a single layer, covered.
- •The assembled, unbaked dish can be refrigerated for up to one day. Add 10 minutes to the baking time if baking cold.
- •Leftovers keep well for three days. The texture softens but the flavor deepens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 400g)
Calories
620 calories
Total Fat
45 g
Saturated Fat
18 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
25 g
Cholesterol
140 mg
Sodium
815 mg
Total Carbohydrates
25 g
Dietary Fiber
9 g
Sugars
10 g
Protein
29 g
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