Eggplant Rolls w/Ricotta, Spinach, Mushrooms, & Shallots… On the Grill!

A meal that’s completely done on the grill that’s not a hunk of meat? Yep, it’s true. Eggplant heaven found.

You could certainly do this on your stove top/oven if you choose… but by cooking it on the grill, you get no crazy messes in the kitchen and a deliciously grilled plate of goodness. So it’s a win-win really.

I actually didn’t plan on making this outdoors at first, but once I saw it was a beautiful day and I had my cast iron in hand, it was a no-brainer. I love being outdoors while I cook. And I am thrilled when I find new creative ways to make classics I love!!

This is a vegetarian, gluten-free, nutritious dish. You can get super involved and make your own marinara if you want… or you can keep things simple and use a store-bought one you know you like. To keep time management under control, I’ve written the recipe in a time-saving order… you can saute the veggies while the eggplant sweats and make the filling while the eggplant grills. It’s all about multi-tasking efficiently! Then it’s a smooth, simple cooking experience that makes everyone happy, especially the cook 🙂

You could easily modify this to include any of your favorite veggies, but I personally love the combo. of ricotta, mushrooms, and spinach. If you don’t have shallots, use onion instead… it won’t make a big difference. Play, enjoy, feast. 🙂

Makes 5-6 rolls, depending on the eggplant size

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant

pinch of salt, for sweating (explained in the directions)

pinch of salt and pepper, to season

drizzle of oil, for grilling

for the filling…

olive oil, about 1 tbsp

3-4 mushrooms, any variety you like (1/2 cup sliced)

2 shallots (1/4 cup sliced)

1 cup raw spinach, well-packed

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp herbs de Provence

1/4 tsp salt1/4 tsp black pepper

for the garnish/topping…

1 cup marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought

fresh Parmesan- shaved, grated, powdered- whatever you like

fresh basil leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Prep the grill- if using charcoal, get them preheated now so you’re all set to go!

Cut off the stem of the eggplant

You can remove the skin as well i you’d like, though I don’t find it necessary for this

Slice the eggplant into long thin slices, cutting lengthwise

Each slice should be about 1/4 inch thick or so

Lay the slices out flat and sprinkle with salt- this helps to extract the moisture (aka sweat),

making your eggplant less bitter and mushy!

Lay the eggplant in a colander (or other open-air surface) so that the water can easily release

Let it sit for about an hour (definitely no less than a half hour if you’re rushed- it’s an important step)

You’ll see it literally sweat before your eyes 🙂

While it’s sweating away, you can start to prep the remaining ingredients….

Slice the shallots and mushrooms

Clean spinach and remove any long stems

In a large cast iron pan (or other grill-friendly pan), heat olive oil over medium heat

You can do this part on the stove top instead of the grill if easier/more convenient

Add mushrooms, shallots, salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence

Cook for about 5 minutes, until lightly golden brown and fragrant

Meanwhile, give the spinach a rough chop

Then add it to the mushrooms and shallots

Remove the pan from the heat, stir, and let spinach warm/wilt into the veggies-

this should only take a couple minutes at most

Scoop the veggie mix into a bowl and set aside to cool while you prepare the eggplant for grilling

The eggplant should be nice and sweaty by now (that sounds kind of gross, sorry!)

Rinse the salt off of the eggplant

Lay it on a paper towel (or use a kitchen towel if preferred) and

press down until all of the moisture is soaked out

Drizzle the dry eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (on both sides)

Lay the eggplant over the grill and cook each side for about five minutes, until soft (not mushy though) and nicely marked

While they’re grilling, you can finish up the filling…

Add the ricotta and Parmesan to the sauteed veggies

Stir until well mixed

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired

To assemble, lay eggplant slices flat

Dollop a scoop of filling on each slice- I find it easiest to lay it on the end closest to me

Roll each slice tightly, keeping all of the filling in the roll

Using the same cast iron or grill-proof pan (no need to even clean it- the oils from the shallots and mushrooms will add flavor, if anything), spread marinara sauce in the center of the pan