This Eggplant Involtini recipe is a healthier, lighter, and more satisfying take on the old-school Italian classic. Eggplant slices are first baked in the oven (rather than fried) and stuffed with a soft and creamy ricotta mixture, then finished in a rich tomato sauce. Serve it as a hearty vegetarian meal or side dish to accompany any main dishes. ​Eggplant is most certainly one of my favorite vegetables. While I love any Italian dish with eggplant like Eggplant Baked Ziti, a fun Mediterranean vegetarian stuffed eggplant, or a classic like Turkish Stuffed Eggplant, transforming eggplant into involtini is quick, easy, and delicious.

Why Should You Try This Recipe?
Eggplant and ricotta are a match made in heaven – and for good reason. An America’s Test Kitchen recipe that stood the test of time, I make this easy vegetarian recipe during the eggplant season. I know you will love it because:
Healthy and satisfying: Baking eggplant slices in the oven cuts down on prep time (and all the unwanted fat and calories from frying) and allows the meaty texture of eggplant to shine.
A feast for eyes: I always make this involtini recipe when I am entertaining. It’s one of those dishes that make people swoon as soon as you place it in the middle of the table. First, the smell hits them, and then the beauty of rolled eggplant with ricotta cheese simmering in tomato sauce.
Hearty and vegetarian: I love a vegetarian meal that can stand up on its own. Serve it with a crisp green salad such as my Spring Mix Salad or Butter Lettuce Salad on the side for a summery feel.

Yields: 4 servings   Prep Time: 20 mins    Cook Time: 40 mins    Total: 1 hr.

​For the eggplant, you will need two large eggplants, olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.
To make the filling, gather together ricotta cheese, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, and lemon zest. For the tomato sauce, you will need olive oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, canned diced tomatoes, and fresh basil.

Ingredient Substitutions and Notes
Eggplant: When you are shopping for eggplant, I recommend buying shorter and wider ones that are similar in size. I buy globe eggplants that are widely available.
Ricotta Cheese: I use this Homemade Ricotta Cheese recipe, but you can use storebought full-fat ricotta as well. 
Breadcrumbs: Use unseasoned regular breadcrumbs. Feel free to swap them out for gluten-free breadcrumbs instead.
Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese can be used interchangeably.
Fresh Herbs: Feel free to add more herbs to the ricotta cheese mixture, such as fresh parsley or oregano. Garnishing with fresh chopped parsley adds a special finishing touch.
Tomato Sauce: I like to make a simple tomato sauce from scratch. Or, if you want to save on time, use one jar (half a recipe) of this Homemade Tomato Sauce or any leftover marinara sauce you have in your fridge.

How to Make
The simplicity of this eggplant stuffed with ricotta really brings the eggplant into focus. Here’s how to make it:
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Step 1: Bake Eggplant
Below are the basic steps to precook the eggplant slices for this recipe. However, if you wish to learn more about it, be sure to check my detailed post on Baked Eggplant Slices.

​Prep equipment: Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Set up two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.
Slice the eggplants: Cut the stem end off, then peel each eggplant with a vegetable peeler. Slice eggplant lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices. Trim the rounded ends for even cooking.
Coat with olive oil: Brush eggplant slices with olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender and soft to touch. Flip the eggplant slices and switch and rotate the sheets halfway through baking. 
Step 2: Prepare The Ricotta Filling
Mix all ingredients: Combine ricotta cheese, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, chopped fresh basil, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

​Step 3: Make the Tomato Sauce
Saute aromatics and seasonings: In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, add olive oil and heat for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
Cook tomatoes: Stir in the canned diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat, until thickened for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Add basil: Once tomatoes have thickened, add the chopped basil, give it a large stir and turn off the heat.

​Step 4: Assembly
​Roll the eggplant: Evenly distribute the ricotta cheese mixture onto the widest end of each eggplant slice (bottom third of each slice). Then, gently roll eggplant slices with your hands. Place seam side down, in the pan with the tomato sauce.
Simmer, then broil: Once all the eggplant slices are in the pan, bring it back up to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, then broil for 5 more minutes in the oven.
Finish and serve: Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese and chopped basil. When serving, place a rolled eggplant on a plate and spoon tomato sauce over. 

By Aysegul Sanford
This Roasted Cornish Hen recipe is the perfect special occasion meal that you can make whenever you want to impress. This easy Cornish chicken dish is made by marinating Cornish game hens in a lime-juice-garlic-fresh oregano based marinade overnight and roasting them in the oven low and slow for almost 2 hours. The Cornish hen marinade I use here is out of this world. I encourage you to prepare it a day in advance and roast for perfection right before serving.
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​Why should you make this Cornish hen recipe?
​Having lived in the Caribbean for a number of years, I knew I needed to try this Roasted Cornish Hen recipe as soon as I saw it on my friend Eva’s cookbook, Adventures in Chicken (affiliate link). And, let me tell you, this easy straightforward recipe did not disappoint. There is so much to love about it, but here are a few that comes to mind right off the bat:

• A Creative and impressive chicken dish: It is visually impressive and perfectly portioned worthy enough as the main course of a holiday dinner (or any other special occasion or dinner party) or as a humble Sunday supper when you want to treat your family.

• ​Only 15 minutes of hands-on time: While it takes about 2 hours for the Cornish hens to bake, the actual preparation time is only about 15 minutes, which makes it ideal when you have a million other things you need to worry about when making dinner.​
• Roasting is the best way to cook Cornish hens: You can cook these special breed of chickens in other ways but I find that roasting is the way to go. Thinking that you might have new to cooking Cornish game hens, I thought it would be great to share some of those questions and cover them in the recipe below.
• A great alternative to turkey during the holidays: While turkey is traditional, if you are serving a smaller crowd, this slow roasted Cornish hen recipe is ideal and a great alternative to turkey.

Yields: 4 servings    Prep Time: 20 mins     Cook Time: 2 hrs  Total: 2 hrs 20 mins

By Aysegul Sanford
This Crock Pot Chicken Tomatillo Soup is an easy-to-make and set-it-and-forget recipe that you can make with only 15 minutes of hands-on time. Packed with all the Mexican flavors we love, this tomatillo stew is going to be the next weeknight meal you can put together in the morning and enjoy at dinner time.
An easy to make crockpot chicken tomatillo soup recipe that will take you no more than 15 minutes to prep. If you are looking for a way to up your chicken soup game, this delicious slow cooker chicken soup recipe is the way to go.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed (910gr) Chicken breasts can also be used
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in quarters (680 gr)
• 2 jalapeno peppers chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock (720 ml) or store-bought chicken stock would also work
• 1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 tablespoon lime juice and more as garnish
• 1 ripe avocado cubed as garnish

​Instructions

• To prep the chicken: Throughly dry the chicken thighs using paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Let them sit on the counter as you prep the rest of the ingredients.
• Place the tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and chicken stock in the bowl of your crockpot.
• Transfer the chicken into the bowl.
• Set it to low heat setting to cook for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
• When cooked, using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Shred it in leaving it in large chunks and set aside.
• Add in the cilantro into the slow cooker. Using an immersion blender, puree the tomatillo mixture until smooth.
• Return shredded chicken into the bowl.
• Stir in the lime juice. Taste for seasoning and add in if necessary.
• Garnish with slices of jalapeno pepper and avocado.

Yields: 6 servings  Prep Time: 15 mins  Cook Time: 8 hrs  Total Time: 8 hrs 15 mins​