Italian Aspirations

These eggplant rolls are tasty, easy to make, and cheap! The only ingredients you need are the following:

-eggplant
-ricotta cheese
-mozzarella cheese
-parmesan cheese (if wanted, for sprinkling on the top)
- fresh basil
- tomatoes
- red pepper flakes
-olive oil
- oregano
- salt
-pepper
-garlic
- other spices (sometimes I like to add fennel or thyme)

Cut the eggplant into slices. I find that the best thickness for each slice is 1 cm or so. Roast the slices in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until they are tender and pliable (you need to roll up the ricotta/mozarella filling in there).

Make the ricotta/mozzarella filling. This filling using fresh basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. You can use goat cheese instead of mozzarella for a stronger tasting roll. I like to add a bit of fennel and thyme.

To make the sauce, you use some garlic, red pepper, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I like to use the fresh red hot peppers from our garden in addition to the red pepper flakes. Simmer the sauce for a while so that it takes on the spicy flavor.

Finally, wrap each eggplant slice around the filling to create an eggplant roll. Line up the rolls in a pan and cover all of them with the spicy tomato sauce. Place the pan in the oven, covered with foil, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or so, until hot.

Bon appetit!