Skinny Eggplant Rollatini with Lemon-Sage Bechamel

Eggplant Parmesan was a staple in my household growing up. My step-grandfather would deep-fry breaded, thinly-sliced eggplant and serve it with homemade red sauce. Just thinking about it makes me salivate a bit!

I’ve noticed that most eggplant rollatini recipes are served in a similar style. So I wanted to play around with different flavors, as well as lighten up this sometimes heavy, cheesy dish.

That’s how I came up with this skinny eggplant rollatini recipe. Rather than serving it with just a full-fat ricotta mixture, I also included squash puree. And rather than a red sauce, which mind you is typically healthy, I also wanted to indulge a bit with a light cream sauce. Then I used the base of my go-to healthy Alfredo sauce recipe and added sage and lemon.

This won’t taste like any eggplant rollatini you’ve ever had, but it will likely be the most flavorful!

What Does This Skinny Eggplant Rollatini Taste Like?

This skinny eggplant rollatini is a play on a lot of different flavors. It reminds me of fall because of the squash and sage, but also spring because of the bright lemon flavor. It’s slightly sweet because of honey, savory thanks to the squash and sage, but also tart from the citrus.

In terms of texture, it’s a creamy, deceptively decadent dish because of the ricotta and bechamel. But you don’t feel crazy full after “indulging”. Since I use the base of my go-to healthy Alfredo sauce recipe, this goes great with pasta. Just a heads up, though, if you decide to do this it will make the dish less creamy.

The Recipe:

Serves 4 | Active 25 minutes | 50 minutes total

Ingredients:

For the rollatini:

2 eggplants
3 Tbsp. EVOO
1 cup acorn squash puree
1/2 cup ricotta
1 Tbsp. honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tsp. lemon zest
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
4 oz. nuefchatel cream cheese

Directions:

Step 1

Slice the eggplant into 1/2″ thick strips (you should get between 12-15 slices). Season the eggplant strips with salt & pepper and let sit on a baking sheet fit with a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels & put on new baking sheet.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 400°F and brush the eggplant with the extra virgin olive oil. Bake 15 minutes until the eggplant is soft, but not falling apart. Set aside.

Step 3

Meanwhile, whisk the acorn squash puree, ricotta, honey, 1/4 of the minced garlic (about 1 clove), 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the beaten egg and set aside until ready to make the rollatinis.

Step 4

Grease a casserole dish. Put a glob of the squash filling on one end of an eggplant slice and roll. Place the rollatini seam side down in the greased casserole. Repeat until all of the eggplant is rolled. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a deep pan. Add the sage & cook until it starts crackling, 3 minutes. Add the rest of the garlic, 1 tsp. lemon zest, and 1 Tbsp. flour. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook until fragrant and comes together in a sort of paste, about 2 minutes.

Step 6

Add 1.5 cups of milk and whisk constantly until it starts to thicken, about 5-7 minutes.

Step 7

Add the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and then the neufchatel cheese, whisking until it comes together and thickens more, 3 minutes.

Step 8

In a separate glass, stir the remaining flour with the last 1/2 cup cold milk. Add this to the cream sauce and then whisk until thickens. Season again if necessary.

Step 9

Carefully pour the cream sauce over the rollatini. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Facts Disclaimer: I am not a registered nutritionist and therefore these numbers are approximate. I researched the serving sizes and facts for each ingredient in this recipe (mostly using the manufacturer labels and this site), but slight variations in things like seasoning, garnishes, and substitutions can change the nutritional information. Use this information only as a general indication of your nutritional intake.