But last Friday after roasting eggplant slices for a sandwich, I felt inspired to use the same technique for the involtini, which, as several commenters had noted already, works like a charm. By simply brushing the eggplant slices with oil, seasoning them with salt and pepper, and roasting them, 20 minutes of standing at the stovetop was saved. The process proved so painless, I made the involtini again on Sunday — eggplant involtini twice in three days is a first, a feat never realized in the past five years. Two caveats: homemade sauce, fresh ricotta. With these two components of the dish prepared (or purchased) ahead of time, eggplant involtini demands little effort. For the first time in a long time I made the ricotta from scratch, which reminded me how easy and delicious it is: line a sieve with cheesecloth, boil milk and cream, add salt and vinegar, strain. It takes about 25 minutes total. Final discovery: The adorable eggplant bundles can be assembled ahead of time, nestled in their tomato sauce-slicked dish, and stashed in the fridge until needed: in 25 minutes, the pan emerges from the oven, tomato sauce thick and bubbly, ricotta rolls bronzed and oozing. It’s a beautiful thing. Do it. Components: roasted eggplant, tomato sauce, ricotta seasoned with lemon zest, salt, and breadcrumbs: 5 from 25 reviews Homemade ricotta is easy and delicious. Updates to the original recipe include skipping the salting and, in place of frying, roasting the eggplant for 10 minutes on one side, 8 to 10 minutes on the other, brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper. I’ve also simplified the filling by omitting the thyme and lemon juice—I just use lemon zest, salt, and bread crumbs, and often I skip the bread crumbs! The recipe is easily doubled: Use two sheet pans to roast the eggplant, rotating as necessary to ensure even cooking. Double the filling. Use a 9 x 13-inch baking vessel or two 9-inch vessels. Definitely double the recipe if making for more than 2 people … I can nearly eat a single recipe on my own.
