Don't think you could call it Italian but this is one of my favorites:

EGGPLANT-COUSCOUS ROLLS

2 1-lb. eggplants
4 tsp. olive oil
1 cup couscous, preferably whole wheat
1/ 2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
3/ 4 cup + 2 Tbs. crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil two baking sheets or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Trim both ends of the eggplants. Stand one eggplant on end and remove a thin slice of skin from two opposite sides and discard. Repeat with the second eggplant. Cut each eggplant into 6 or more 3/8 inch slices. Using 2 tsp. of the oil, brush both sides of the slices and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes, turn over and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more, or until lightly browned and tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan, bring 1 1 / 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in couscous, thyme, and remaining 2 tsp. olive oil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Uncover and let cool for 15 minutes. With a fork, stir in 3/ 4 cup of the feta, 2 Tbs. of the mint and some pepper.

Lightly oil a 9 X 13 inch baking dish or oil it with nonstick cooking spray. Place some of the couscous mixture in the center of each eggplant slice. Roll up the eggplant firmly around the filling and place, seam-side down, in the prepared dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, spoon spaghetti sauce on top and bake for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 Tbs. feta cheese and 1 Tbsp. mint before serving.

Make your favorite marinara sauce ( shout if you need directions)
Make your filling, 2 pounds of ricotta ( for a 8 1/2 by 11 pan)...add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup shredded mozerella, lots of fresh black pepper and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley ( about 2 T. dried) and 3 T grated parmesian cheese
Wash, peel and stem an eggplant or 2 or 3.
Slice lengthwise into 1/4th inch slices...dredge in salted flour and fry briefly in olive oil. Lay the lightly browned slices on a plate and put a mound of filling in the middle and roll up and stand upright in a 8/12 by 11 baking dish that has a layer of marinara sauce in the bottom....repeat until the pan is full....top with more marinara and and mozerella and bake 350 until bubbley and the cheese has browned....about 40 minutes.
Linda C

Sue's recipe is quite good. I made it a little different, by breading the slices first. Also, you can make

. Use your favourite homemade sauce and lasagne recipe, but substitute breaded eggplant slices for the lasagna noodles. Easy to serve.

Ann

Home Cookin 4.9 Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Eggplant Rollatini
===================
cookingrvc (My Page) on Sun, Mar 16, 03 at 20:59

I make this slightly different each time, sometimes adding fresh parsley (as I did today) and sometimes more or less mozzarella.

Make sure that you let the rollatini sit for a spell after the final baking. It's much like lasagna and may ooze if you move it too soon.

Also, the eggplant can be first coated with egg whites then dipped in panko that has been seasoned with garlic powder, grated Italian cheese, and parsley (or use seasoned breadcrumbs) before initial baking.

Enjoy,
Sue

-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Large eggplant -- peeled
Olive oil
16 oz Ricotta
8 oz. Mozzarella -- grated
3/4 C. Grated Parmesan cheese -- (separate into 1/2 C and 1/4 C)
2 T. Dried parsley -- or 3 T. fresh chopped
3/4 Cup fresh spinach -- chopped (optional)
Salt/Pepper
1 Egg
1 Egg yolk
1 1/2 C Homemade Tomato Sauce
.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut peeled eggplant in 1/2 inch slices, length-wise.

Sprinkle with salt on both sides and place on wire rack to 30 minutes to 1
hour, to drain.

Rinse off salt with water, dry.

Coat a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides) with olive oil.

Place eggplant slices in pan, then brush with olive oil and lightly salt.

Cook at 350 for 13 minutes, cool.

Mix ricotta, 3/4 of the mozzarella, 1/2 C Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Add
salt/pepper to taste.

Taste the mixture to check seasoning before adding raw eggs; adjust as
necessary.

Add 1 egg, and 1 egg yolk, mix well.

Smear each piece of eggplant with the ricotta mixture and roll up jelly-roll
style.

Please each roll into a baking dish, seam-side down.

Top each with a couple of spoonfuls of sayce.

Loosely cover with foil and poke some holes for steam to escape.

Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes, remove foil, sprinkle with remaining
mozzarella and parmesan cheese; bake another 5 minutes.

Probably too late but give this a try next time:
5 STAR EGGPLANT (serves 4-6)
1 medium eggplant
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 TBL butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup minced baked ham
1/2 cup buttered fine breadcrumbs

Cut eggplant in 1/2 lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/2" shell. Fill shell with ice water & set aside. Chop eggplant pulp & mushrooms. Saute eggplant, mushrooms & onion in butter 10 minutes. Add seasonings & ham. Drain eggplant shell & pat dry. Stuff shell w/mixture. Top with breadcrumbs. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 25 minutes or until browned.~~

That's what my recipe is...Eggplant Rollatini....but I add an extra egg white and stand the rolls up rather than laying them down....you can get more into a dish that way.
My recipe came from an old friend Gail Pezzacara....known in highschool as "Gail Pizza-cara".
Linda C

Yum, I feel a craving for eggplant coming on - these recipes look great!

Linda - how do you make your marinara? I like to see how similar or different eveyone's versions are :) Thanks.

Cindy

Can you stand another "linda tells how to do it recipe"?
Because the only place this is written down is in a hand written cook book my mother made for me.
Start with 2 big fat pork chops...or pork steaks...or shoulder...about 1 1 /4 pounds of meat.
Brown it in a dutch oven and as it's browning add a lagre onion cut up and a good sized green bell pepper, chopped and 4 or 5 cloves of garlic also chopped.
Brown slowly and when the meat is brown and the veggies soft, add about 1/2 cup dry red wine and 2 28 oz cans of plum tomatoes which you have torn up with your hands ( good for the skin....keeps the cuticles soft!) and 2 small cans of Contadina tomato paste ( no other brand!....and not the stuff with any "seasoning" in it)....conti ue to simmer and fill the tomato paste can with cold coffee and add that....and fill the other paste can with broth....beef or chicken doesn't matter.
Add 3 bay leaves, a generous T. of fresh oregano...( or a tsp of dried)...same with basil...and 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley ( or i T. dried)..and 1 generous Tablespoon of parmesan cheese...
Simmer about 2 or 3 hours....adding more water if it gets too thick....check for salt and perhaps add some dried red pepper flakes.
Break up the meat....remove any bones and serve....with or without the meat.
Linda C

Cindy, I make a Marinara sauce without meat. Just olive oil, garlic and basil,preferrably fresh and quality canned Italian tomatoes. Sometimes I spice it up with a little hot red pepper flakes. If I'm making eggplant marinara or rollatini, I use this sauce. If I'm making regular lasagna I use a Bolognese sauce with meat.

Ann

I guess technically a marinara is a sauce created quickly and with out meat...
Perhaps my terminology was not correct....should have said "Tomato gravy" or "Meat sauce" for the true Italian experience.
I always made the eggplant rollups with meat sauce....and so does my friend, Gail.
Ann...no onions and peppers in your sauce? sounds a little like a pomodoro sauce...
Linda C...wishing there were some of anything like that in my freezer.

Linda, I never use green or red peppers in any of my tomato sauces with or without meat, because I don't like the sweetness that they add. Especially red peppers. I use onions in meat sauces and other tomato sauces just not a quick marinara sauce. I do like your idea of using a meat sauce with the rollatini though. I'll give that a try next time.

Ann

Thanks for the sauce recipes. My marinara is pretty basic, similar to Ann's - sometimes I add a splash of red wine. I love hearing the family recipes for meat sauce - being PA Dutch, we rarely had italian dishes and I can't remember my mother ever cooking with garlic - now I love sampling all the different versions of sauce! Thanks!

Cindy

Wow, thanks, everybody! Now I'M the one who's stuffed!

I ended up going with the Eggplant Rollatini. I knew that's what my husband had in mind from a restaurant he likes, and it was a smash hit.

I had a little eggplant left over when I ran out of the ricotta, so I made it more of an eggplant parm. with the rest, and that was yummy too.

Oh, and the Italian Wedding Soup went over great. Lots of requests for the recipes.

Ann and Linda, I am going to be making the rollatini for Saturday night. Is this somethng I can make tomorrow and reheat with minimum loss of texture? I don't plan to flour the eggplant.

If I get everything else done today it won't be an issue, but I'm still curious.