I didn’t know that eggplant was one of my favorite foods until I tasted it smothered in tomato sauce. I had been living in Italy for a few months by this point. The weather was just morphing into summer, which meant that eggplants were ripe in season.
We ate at a fancy restaurant in a hilltop village to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This eggplant appetizer was the seasonal choice, highly recommended by the waiter.
(At least, I think he highly recommended it, based on my 5-year old Italian language skills.) Either way, I couldn’t thank him enough for the amazing dish that became one of my favorite foods.
Ever since then, I can’t help but order the item on any menu that includes eggplant!
While visiting France this summer, I naturally asked for the eggplant dish in a local restaurant. It was thin slices of eggplant rolled around a dollop of goat cheese (another one of my favorite foods). My tastebuds were in food heaven!
Naturally, after coming home from vacation in Europe, I had to attempt this dish in my own kitchen. And goodness, it was just as satisfying.
Trust me, this is a simple yet elegant appetizer, and worth the few minutes that it takes to prepare. Buon appetito!
Eggplant and Goat Cheese Roll Ups
A simple yet elegant appetizer of creamy goat cheese wrapped up in tender slices of eggplant.
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 4oz Goat cheese, any flavor
Instructions
- Using a mandolin slicer, cut the eggplants into thin slices lengthwise. Salt and let sit in a colander for at least 30 minutes. Pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Generously drizzle olive oil into a glass baking dish. Lay each of the eggplant slices in the pan, rubbing both sides into the oil. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
- Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes, until tender but not browned.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon of goat cheese onto the end of each eggplant slice. Roll up around the goat cheese and lay on a serving platter, seam side down.
- Serve immediately or keep warm by tenting with foil.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 136Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 5g
