Aubergine involtini with vegan ricotta

Aubergine involtini with vegan ricotta

aubergine involtini with vegan ricotta tray

As you may have noticed, I am a bit of a magpie when it comes to cooking. I like to cherry-pick aspects of different cuisines and twist them a fair amount for my own recipes.

Unless you are one of these people who can eat the same thing day in and day out, being able to draw on the culinary heritage of the whole world is very much a necessity when you become vegan. The fact that so many conventional dishes are off limits forces you to get out of you comfort zone and explore unfamiliar ingredients and flavour combinations – a process which results in so many happy discoveries! 🙂

Today’s inspiration came from Italy. I made a vegan version of the Italian classic – involtini melanzane. If you live in a big, buzzing city with plenty of vegan options at your fingertips, you can probably buy a vegan ricotta easily, in which case this recipe will be rather quick to make. I’m not that lucky in this respect so I’ve had to get off my ass and come up with a vegan ricotta before I even started rolling my aubergine slices.

My ricotta is easy to make and it makes a perfect creamy filling for these involtini babies so please do try if you cannot get hold of a shop bought cheese. I know it’s a bit more work, but it’s worth it, trust me! I don’t know about you, but a couple of succulent aubergine rolls filled with a beautifully creamy cheese topped with a luscious tomato sauce is pretty much my idea of a dinner heaven, especially when accompanied by a big green salad and a cheeky glass of wine.

baked aubergine slices

aubergine involtini rolling

aubergine involtini rolled

aubergine involtini with vegan ricotta decorating

aubergine involtini with vegan ricotta close

makes
12
PREP
20 min
COOKING
60 min
makes
12
PREPARATION
20 min
COOKING
60 min
INGREDIENTS

TOMATO SAUCE

  • 1.5 kg / 3.3 lb ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 1-2 tsp brown sugar
  • ¾ tsp sea salt, more to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • large sprig of basil
  • ½ tsp hot chilli powder or flakes (optional)

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large and long aubergines (about 700 g / 1.5 lb)
  • 1 portion vegan ricotta, homemade or shop-bought*
  • 1½ tbsp pine nuts
  • 1½ tbsp coarse breadcrumbs
  • fresh basil, to garnish
  • olive oil

METHOD

TOMATO SAUCE

  1. Heat up olive oil in a large (oven-proof if you have one) frying pan. Throw in garlic and stir-fry it on low-medium heat until it softens and becomes fragrant.
  2. Chuck in chopped tomatoes and simmer (without a lid) on a low heat for about 45-60 minutes giving it a good stir every 10-15 minutes. You want the tomatoes to break down fully and the sauce to thicken. Start step 5 below.
  3. Towards the end of the cooking time, add a large spring of fresh basil and submerge it in the sauce to release its beautiful aroma. Season the sauce with salt, sugar, pepper and chilli if using. You can also add a bit more olive oil if you want the sauce to be richer.
  4. If you want your sauce to be smooth, transfer it into a blender and give it a good whizz.

INVOLTINI

  1. Heat up the oven to 175° C / 355° F and line a large baking tray with a piece of baking paper.
  2. Cut aubergines into 1 cm / 0.4 ” thick slices lengthwise. Make sure the pieces are the same thickness so that they take the same amount of time to cook. Brush both sides of the aubergine slices with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
  3. Arrange them on a prepared baking tray making sure the slices have a bit of room around them and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until soft. Flip the pieces to the other size half way through the cooking time as I found that the side that is in contact with the baking tray gets cooked a little faster. Once done, remove the tray from the oven and cool.
  4. Place about a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on the wider end of the aubergine slices and roll up gently. If a slice happens to burst in the middle once filled and rolled, don’t worry, it just makes the dish a little bit more rustic 🙂 .
  5. Once the sauce is ready, transfer it to a baking tray or leave it in the pan if you’re using an oven proof one. Place rolled involtini, sealed side down, in the sauce. Brush involtini top with a bit more olive oil and place under a hot grill / broiler for about 3-4 minutes (until the tops get brown). Sprinkle with a handful of breadcrumbs and pine nuts and return to under the grill for another 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve as a starter or a main dish with some grain or pasta.

NOTES
*If using shop bought vegan ricotta, you may want to flavour it with some lemon zest, salt and pepper, a touch of garlic and maybe some fresh herbs.

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
84
4%
sugars
5 g
6%
fats
5 g
7%
saturates
1 g
5%
proteins
2 g
4%
carbs
9 g
3%
*per involtino
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5.0
4 reviews, 12 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Cathy:
Made this last night. Yum. The sauce was amazing. I used my own tofu and cashew ricotta - so easy. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Cathy! I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed this dish and I really appreciate you taking the time to review! x Ania
Ruth:
Hi Anita, just made this for dinner, was yummy good!!! I'm addicted to your ricotta!!! Have recommended to fellow vegans and vegetarians here in Northern Ireland
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Ruth! That's lovely to hear :) and thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. :) Ania
Holly jade:
YUM! I am drooling at this <3
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks! :)
Sally:
This is the third time I'm cooking this - it tastes divine and isn't difficult to make. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you Ania
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much, Sally! That's so great to hear! :) Ania
Thomas:
This looks incredibly delicious! I really need to try this. Your photos are mouth-watering!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Thomas! So lovely to hear. PS: I was drooling over your Camembert recipe a few weeks ago, planning to try it in winter once I get my hands on probiotics
Lindsey:
This recipe looks amazing! I have made variations of this recipe several times and can't wait to try this one! Perfect timing too, as I have tons of eggplant from my garden :) :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    That's great to hear! How amazing that you grow your own vegetables! I wish I had green fingers...Hope you'll like this recipe! :) x
Laura:
Looks delish! Will try this one for sure. Thanks for sharing!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Laura, so glad to hear. I hope you'll like it! :)
Lee:
I'm drooling all over this recipe :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Ha ha ha, that's good as this was my cunning plan, you see :) Hope you'll give them a go! Ania
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