Eggplant Involtini

• approx. 4 to 6 Japanese or Chinese purple/white eggplant or small sized Italian purple eggplant
• fresh homemade ricotta (my recipe on Food52)
• fresh buffalo mozzarella
• fresh basil leaves
• summer tomato sauce (my recipe on Food52)
• sea salt and pepper
• grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1. Wash and dry the eggplants and lightly peel them to remove some of the skin (leave some strips on.) Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch or so thickness and set aside.
2. Place the slices on a vegetable grill rack (or place in your grill pan) and season lightly with sea salt, pepper and a light drizzle of olive oil.
3. Grill all the pieces in this style until lightly cooked through (and you see grill marks); they will cook a bit more in the oven to finish. Remove the grilled slices and lay them flat to cool slightly.
4. Prepare the involtini (or rolls) by adding a spoonful of ricotta and/or two small thin slices of the buffalo mozzarella.
5. Cover this with a spoonful of the summer tomato sauce and sprinkle liberally with the grated cheese.rnrnPlace one to two basil leaves on top and carefully roll the eggplant up until you reach the end and hold it together by inserting a toothpick all the way through.
6. Prepare all the eggplant slices until done and place in a medium to large baking dish, spoon some more summer tomato sauce over the top lightly and drizzle them with a bit more olive oil.
7. Place in a 425 degree fahrenheit oven and bake for approximately 15 to 16 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

purple, fresh buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, tomato sauce, salt, cheese

Taken from food52.com/recipes/29545-eggplant-involtini (may not work)