Recipe: Peel an eggplant. Thin slice it lengthwise. Lay the eggplant slices across a tray and sprinkle sea salt on both sides of each slice. (This will take the bitterness out of the eggplant and keep it from turning grey) After 15 minutes rinse each slice under cold water and pat dry with a towel.
Make an egg wash of: eggs, chopped oregano, sea salt and black pepper.
Dredge the eggplant slices in flour. Dredge the floured eggplant slices in the egg wash.
Heat blended olive oil in a skillet to 360 degrees. Pan fry 2 to 3 slices at a time in the medium hot blended olive oil. Flip so both sides cook to a golden color and remove the eggplant from the hot oil. Drain the excess oil off of the eggplant on a dry towel.
Mix ricotta cheese, chopped fresh basil leaf, raw eggs, grated parmesan, grated asiago, grated fontina and grated mozzarella for the cheese stuffing. (Never add salt or pepper to a ricotta cheese stuffing. That would ruin the delicate flavors of the fine cheeses!)
Spoon a little of the cheese stuffing on the wide end of each eggplant slice. Gently roll them up and place each rotoli in a baking pan.
Spoon some salsa pomodoro over and around the rotoli. (The Salsa Pomodoro recipe was in the Calamari e Salsa Pomodoro recipe that was posted on 11/12/2010.)
Bake in an oven at 350 degrees till hot. (About ten minutes.) Remove the rotoli pan from the oven and sprinkle a little bit of grated fontina, grated parmesan, grated asiago and grated mozzarella cheese on top of the rotoli. Place the rotoli in the oven till the cheese gets soft. (Do not brown the cheese!) Remove the rotoli from the oven and set each on a plate. Spoon a little warm salsa pomodoro between and around the rotoli.
The eye appeal, the aroma and the taste of this fine eggplant dish is so fine! I have cooked thousands of orders of this melanzane rotoli for happy customers. The deep red, glistening tomato sauce is so appealing. I love this eggplant recipe! Ciao Baby! ... Shawna
