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Greek Eggplant-Feta Rolls In Rich Tomato Sauce

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD

This eggplant-feta recipe will become one of your favorites! Eggplant stuffed with tangy feta and baked in the most delicious tomato sauce.

Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini

I call feta, eggplant and tomato the holy trinity of Greek summer recipes. Truly, these 3 ingredients belong together and complement each other wonderfully. Eggplant roasted to perfection in delicious tomato sauce is perfect with feta! There are a variety of Greek dishes that use these ingredients, but simply cooking eggplant with tomato sauce and olive oil and accompanying it with feta is the most traditional and classic way of eating them. For this recipe I was inspired by the Italian dish rollatini, but instead of using ricotta, I used tangy feta. Eggplant rolls stuffed with feta and topped with a rich and delicious tomato sauce. This dish is delicious! Don’t forget to accompany this dish with some good bread for dipping in that wonderful sauce.

Nutritional Value

Now, this is what I would call a comfort food but also fantastically nutritious! Yep! That’s the beauty of the Mediterranean diet: Good food that is also Good for you. So obviously the eggplant is a superfood, rich in soluble fiber, that’s the kind of fiber that lowers your cholesterol. Eggplant is also rich in antioxidants that may keep your blood pressure in check and reduce artery stiffness. Now coupled with the tomato sauce which includes onions, garlic and extra virgin olive oil you are getting even more antioxidants. And I lightned it up a bit by roasting the eggplant instead of frying it.

Ingredients

  • Eggplant: For this dish it is preferable to use a long thinner eggplant to get more of a bite-size effect. If you are using larger ones, then you will also need to use larger pieces of feta.
  • Feta: If you can find Greek feta, get it! Technically there is no such thing as feta from another country as feta is a Greek traditional cheese. If you are not able to find Greek feta, try to find feta that is made from sheep’s milk. Authentic feta is made with sheep’s milk not cow’s milk.
  • Crushed Tomatoes: When I don’t have fresh tomatoes, I will use canned crushed tomatoes. If using fresh, just pass the tomatoes through a food processor.
  • Herbs: It is preferable to use fresh or frozen herbs, if you are using dry, use ½ to 1/3 of the amount.
  • Onion and garlic: For this recipe I basically puree the onion and garlic, so the sauce is smooth rather than chunky.

How to make Greek Eggplant-Feta Rolls in Rich Tomato Sauce

Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Start by making the sauce: Sauté the onion and garlic, then add the tomato sauce, salt, sugar and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix in 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tbsp mint and set aside.
Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Slice the eggplant: You want the eggplant to be about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick. You can use a mandoline as well. Don’t worry too much about the slices having a perfect shape, they will roll fairly easily and then will be covered in tomato sauce.
Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Sweat the eggplant: Sprinkle some salt on the eggplant and let it sit for about 20-30 minutes. This helps remove some of the bitterness. Then the eggplant is then brushed with olive oil and roasted enough to soften it, so that it can be easily rolled. Remove and let them cool for a few minutes.
Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Roast the eggplant until it begins to brown, around 20 minutes at 350 F (180 C). Remove and let them cool for a few minutes.
feta for Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Cut the feta in pieces 1 inch (2 ½ cm) long by ¼ inch (½ cm) wide.
Tomato sauce for Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of your baking dish
Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Start rolling: Place a piece of feta on one end of the eggplant and roll carefully, place on the baking dish (I used a round 10 inch (25 cm) Repeat with the rest of the eggplant.
Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Pour over the eggplant ¼ cup of olive oil
Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Spoon over the eggplant the rest of the sauce.
Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Bake for 25-30 minutes, remove and let it cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle mint and parsley before serving.

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Greek Eggplant-Feta Rolls in Rich Tomato Sauce

Greek Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Rich Tomato Sauce Rollatini
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
This eggplant-feta recipe become one of your favorites! Eggplantstuffed with tangy feta and baked in the most delicious tomato sauce.
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Keyword: Eggplant, Feta, Rolls
Servings: 4
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil + more for brushing
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 medium onion quartered
  • 20 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped mint
  • ½ tsp salt plus more for sprinkling on eggplant
  • A pinch of sugar
  • 1 ½ pound eggplant about 4-5 medium size-choose long thinner eggplants
  • 4 ounces feta cut in pieces 1 inch (2 ½ cm) long by ¼ inch (½ cm) wide

Instructions

  • Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C)
  • Start making the sauce. In a food processor add the onion and garlic and mix. Or alternatively you can grate the onion and crush the garlic and mix well.
  • Heat over medium heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small pot and sauté the onion-garlic mixture for 1-2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, a pinch of sugar, the salt and mix. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tbsp fresh parsley and 1 tbsp fresh mint and mix. Set aside
  • Slice the eggplant lengthwise about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick
  • Place on a pan in one layer, slightly salt them and let them sit for 20 minutes.
  • Once 20 minutes have passed pat dry with paper towel and brush with olive oil. Place in the oven and heat for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove and let cool enough so that you can handle them.
  • Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of your baking dish.
  • Prepare the rolls, place a piece of feta on one end of eggplant and roll carefully, place on the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the eggplant.
  • Pour over the eggplant ¼ cup of olive oil, then spoon over the rest of the sauce.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, remove and let it cool for 20 minutes.
  • Sprinkle mint and parsley before serving.

Notes

For this dish it is preferable to use a long thinner eggplant to get more of a bite-size effect. If you are using larger ones, then you will also need to use larger pieces of feta.
  • Store in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days. 
  • To reheat:  Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) and heat until warm, about 10-15 minutes.
  • To freeze: You can bake this and let it cool and freeze or assemble without baking and freeze.

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This eggplant-feta recipe will become one of your favorites! Eggplant stuffed with tangy feta and baked in the most delicious tomato sauce. #Mediterraneandiet #eggplant #feta
Photos by Elena Paravantes All Rights Reserved

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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5 Comments

  2. I like this dish very much even the colours are so beautiful . I like veg a lot .
    Thanks for your excellent idea of receipe.
    Susan curmi

    Reply

    2. Made this a couple of times this summer with eggplants from the farmers market. Never knew what to do with eggplant until I bought your book. Now it’s one of our favorite dishes. Made it for my in-laws and they loved it too. Simple, delicious and filling. Thanks!5 stars