Although there were five Mondays in the month of March, there were only two Tapas Mondays at our house.  Due to a hectic business schedule, only the first and last Mondays were available for such a designation.  While I could be an independent woman and eat tapas alone at 9:00, it really isn’t as fun as it might sound. . .

So, after a 3-week hiatus from tapas, I was ready to create a meal consisting of new dishes.  With our love for cheeses (especially melted cheese), I knew I had to include some in our menu.  As I had seen a recipe for a puttanesca sauce that I wanted to try, I thought the sauce would be a great accompaniment for some sort of cheese filled dish.  Rather than going with a heavy pasta dish, I decided to use thin slices of eggplant as the container for the cheese.

Using ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, the eggplant had a tasty, gooey filling.  Served with the puttanesca sauce on the side, there was a wide array of flavors to enjoy.  The one disappointment to this dish was its appearance.  Between using only cheeses as the filling and not dipping the entire roll in a coating of egg and bread crumbs, the melted cheeses leaked out the sides of the roll.  However, if you don’t mind eating a dish that looks less than perfect, you will be rewarded with a dish that tastes delicious!

Eggplant Rolls

1 eggplant, sliced thin lengthwise

1 cup ricotta cheese

4 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed

1 tsp. dried oregano

fresh ground black pepper

puttanesca sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling.  Discard both “end” pieces of eggplant that are mainly skin and add remaining eggplant slices to boiling water.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until tender.  Remove slices carefully, and place on paper towels to drain.

In a medium sized bowl, combine ricotta and mozzarella.  Season with oregano and  pepper.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.  Place one eggplant strip on prepared baking sheet, and top one half of the strip with 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture.  Fold the other half of the eggplant over cheese.  Continue with remaining eggplant and cheese.

Place in a 375° oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Serve with puttanesca sauce.