Easy Vegan Eggplant Rollatini (Gluten-Free with Oil-Free Option)

Learn how to make a vegan eggplant rollatini with this simple and delicious recipe. Thinly sliced eggplant is stuffed with homemade vegan…
The post Easy Vegan Eggplant Rollatini (Gluten-Free with Oil-Free Option) appeared first on Sweet Simple Vegan.

Learn how to make a vegan eggplant rollatini with this simple and delicious recipe. Thinly sliced eggplant is stuffed with homemade vegan ricotta cheese, smothered in a homemade marinara sauce. and topped with vegan mozzarella cheese. It’s ready in about an hour and makes for a perfect meal any night of the week!

Plate with three eggplant rollatini Growing up, eggplant rollatini was one of my favorite dishes. My mom used to make it often, and our family would always wipe the baking dish clean . We were lucky enough to have my mom visiting us while making this recipe, and she really did it justice. We were able to team up with her to whip up a vegan version that is spot on to her classic recipe!

overhead ingredient shot for eggplant rollatini After testing this recipe a few times, we realized the key to the perfect rollatini is to slice the eggplant at just the right thickness. Using a mandolin, we found that thickness to be on the setting between 1/8 and 1/16 of an inch. If you don’t have a mandolin, do your best to slice the eggplant evenly and thin enough to roll without being too stiff…but a mandolin works best!

When it comes time to fill the eggplant before rolling them, we recommend using our Easy Tofu Ricotta recipe (it literally takes five minutes to make), but you can also use the store-bought vegan ricotta cheese from Kite Hill if you’re feeling particularly lazy or don’t have all the ingredients to make it from scratch. Whatever floats your boat, there is no wrong way to make this.

So without further ado, let’s get into the recipe!

sweating raw eggplant lightly salted laying out over the sink

Remove the ends off of the eggplant and discard. Using a mandolin, slice the eggplant lengthwise into between 1/8 and 1/16-inch thick slices. Lay the eggplant out on a cooling rack (or on a rimmed baking sheet line or in the inside of a large colander) and generously sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of salt. Allow the eggplant to sit and release liquid for 15-20 minutes. Use a towel to blot the eggplants dry and remove any extra moisture.

In a large pan over medium heat, add in the olive oil. Once warmed, add in the garlic, onion (if using), red pepper flakes. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add in the canned tomatoes (with juice), and gently break them apart using either a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Be careful as they may splatter. Add in all of the oregano mix until uniform. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Allow this mixture to cook, stirring once or twice, for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Stir in the basil and allow the mixture to cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and seat aside.

single eggplant thinly sliced with vegan ricotta cheese shot from over head

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and have a casserole dish of your choice ready. A roughly 13 x 9-inch rimmed baking dish works well for this. Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish.

Place a 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized scoop of the vegan ricotta cheese onto the large end of the eggplant slice and roll it up tightly, being sure to stuff in any stuffing that falls out.

Step by step overhead image of eggplant rollatini in a baking dish with no cheese or sauce

Place the eggplant rollatini into the baking dish, seam side down, and then continue with all of the remaining eggplant slices. Evenly distribute about 2/3 of the tomato sauce on top of the eggplant rollatini. We did not use all of the sauce but feel free to add as much as you want!

overhead image of eggplant rollatini in a baking dish with cheese and sauce uncooked

Generously sprinkle the top of the dish with vegan mozzarella cheese, as desired. Place into the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is bubbling and the eggplant is soft.

overhead image of eggplant rollatini in baking dish being placed onto table

Remove from oven and let stand for about 10-15 minutes before serving. We served ours with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese and it was perfect!

Eggplant rollatini in baking dish with piece being pulled out

A few notes:

We did not use onions in this recipe but you can add them as desired and noted in the ingredients!
The vegan ricotta cheese can be prepared without oil if desired. We suggest just adding a few tablespoons of additional water into the ricotta in case it is crumbly.
You can prepare our homemade cashew mozzarella cheese sauce for this recipe instead of using store bought cheese shreds for a truly oil-free dish. We just suggest skipping the step of cooking it on the stovetop and pouring it over after blending.
This recipe is also great served between two slices of toasted bread to make a sandwich!
This can be made ahead of time and frozen for suture meals. Just be sure to freeze the recipe after it has cooked and completely cooled and in an airtight/freezer safe container for up to two months.

Plate with three eggplant rollatini being held

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Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!