Eggplant Rollatini

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant(2 pounds), cut lengthwise into 1/2inch-thick slices(about 8)
salt and pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup part-skin ricotta(I just used cottage cheese)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing
1 large egg
1 garlic clove, minced(I used 1/2 tsp. of jarred minced garlic, it's keeps longer)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Crusty bread for serving, optional.(I used a bagette from Crumb Brothers that they sell at Lee's)


Directions:
1-Season eggplant with salt and pepper; arrange in a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish with a lid. Microwave on high until tender and pliable but not fully cooked, 6-8 minutes.


2-With a spatula, transfer eggplant slices from dish to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet, and arrange in a single layer. Blot baking dish dry and spread bottom with 1/4 cup marinara sauce; set aside.


3-In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, Parmesan, egg, garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Dividing evenly, spoon ricotta mixture onto the wide end of eggplant slices, leaving a 1-inch border on the wide end and a 1/4-inch border on either side. Starting at the wide end, roll up slices; arrange seam side down in a single layer in prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 3/4 cup marinara sauce.



4-Cover dish, and microwave on high until eggplant is very tender, 15-17 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; microwave until cheese is melted, 2-3 minutes. cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan for garnishing, if desired. Serve with crusty bread.



*Tips on picking a good eggplant(I got the instructions from the produce guy at Lee's.)
-Make sure it's uniform in color.
-It needs to be firm.
-Try to get one that doesn't have a bunch of brown scars(or spots) on it.

From the Kitchen of Kym Allen (Thank you so much for giving us a recipe Kym).