Christmas has come and gone for another year! It flew by once again. I hope you all spent some quality time with friends and family and ate some delicious food. We ate so much good food and while we are still recovering from our food comas, and with the new year approaching I crave delicous and hearty but still healthy food. This Eggplant Rollatini with Sausage and Ricotta filling has the best of both worlds, it is hearty and satisfying while also being lower in calories.
I love using part skim ricotta because it is just as creamy and flavorful as the full fat version. And then using fresh mozzarella brings a ton of flavor and by using it sparingly you get all the benefits. Another key to making flavorful healthy dishes, in my opinion, is spices. Especially when it comes to Italian food.
You are going to love this because it is cheesy and packed with flavor but also healthy and is packed with vegetables. Eggplant, spinach, and the tomatoes in the sauce hits three different colors of vegetables. I try and have a wide variety of colors when it comes to vegetables so we consume a variety of nutrients. And one of my goals in the new year is to add more veggies to our daily diet.
So check back for lots of veggie based posts (don’t worry I will still have plenty of cheese too) and I may have gotten the kitchen aid spiralizer for Christmas which will be perfect for adding more vegetables to our diet.
Have a safe and happy New Years!
- 1 med to large eggplant
- 8 oz ground sausage
- 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 cups of spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ cup parmesan, grated
- ½ cup part skim ricotta
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp of garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 oz of mozzarella
- 1 cup of marinara sauce
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and slice the eggplant into ¼ inch slices and spray each side with extra virgin olive oil and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake slices for 5 minutes per side, set aside to cool.
- Cook the sausage until it browns and add the spinach and garlic. Then mix the parmesan, ricotta, ½ cup of mozzarella shredded, egg, sausage and spinach mixture, and seasonings.
- In a 13x9 in baking dish, spoon ¼ cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom. Then spread the mixture onto each of the slices and roll up. Place seam side down into the pan. Top each with marinara and a slice of mozzarella.
- Bake for 15 minutes covered with foil, then another 5 - 10 minutes without foil until cheese is melted and bubbly.
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