The most delicious way you will ever eat eggplant and a great freezer food to boot

This is a project for preserving the bounty of summer eggplant. You will invest some time with this, but will you be delighted you did in the months to come. Simply pull them out of the freezer, smother them in a good marinara sauce, and bake them at 425 degrees while putting together a green salad. Check out the video on roasted eggplant rolls at YouTube or watch it below.

Plan on three rolls per person per meal, although it is EASY to eat four.

Roasted Eggplant Roll Ingredients

• Three large eggplant
• Three cups ricotta cheese
• Two cups grated mozzarella cheese, plus one-half cup for the top.
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Romano cheese
• 6 tablespoons finely minced fresh basil (or 3 tablespoons dried basil)

Roasted Eggplant Roll Steps

1. Slice three large eggplant in rounds.
2. Marinate eggplant in safflower or (other high heat oil) and garlic for several hours, tossing it several times.
3. Place the eggplant in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.
4. Allow to cool for easy handling.
5. Mix the cheeses and basil.
6. Place a generous tablespoon of cheese mixture on one half of the eggplant round. Roll as tightly as you can without squeezing out the cheese.
7. Arrange the rolls, open end down, on a cookie sheet. (At this point, you can place them on a cookie sheet and freeze them. After they are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag.)
8. To serve, place the rolls in a baking dish and cover with a marinara sauce of your choice.
9. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella.
10. Heat at 425 until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
11. Garnish with some fresh basil or parsley when ready to serve.

Roasted Eggplant Roll Variations

• Add some well-cooked, well seasoned ground beef to the cheese mixture.
• Substitute a well-cooked, well seasoned ground beef for the cheese entirely. This will not hold together as well as the cheese, but is quite delicious.