Recovery Eggplant Ricotta

Coming off that pig high from last night's dinner, I decided no meat tonight.  Eggplant is one of those things I hated as a kid, but love as an adult.  I love it roasted, grilled, szechuan wok fried, pureed in a spread, in a timbale, curried, caponata, baked in parmesan.  The options for this beautiful aubergine are abundant and distinct.  In my refrigerator I already had a partially used tub of ricotta, home made tomato sauce, parmesan and pecorino romano.  So, today I picked up a couple eggplant and some basil.

Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices.  Brush with olive oil.  If you heat (microwave) the oil slightly, it will make it easier to brush on the eggplant.  Grill until soft and golden.   Alternatively, you can roast the eggplant in the oven at 400f.  For the ricotta filling, I had about 10-12 oz of ricotta, to which I added grated parmesan and pecorino, finely chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. When eggplant has cooled, wrap ricotta mixture inside and set into a shallow dish.  Ladle tomato sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with a little bit more parmesan and pecorino.  Bake in the oven until heated through and cheese has crisped.   Satisfying and flavorful, yet not too substantial.  Just right for a quick rehab.