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Involtini

By Nigella Lawson

Updated April 15, 2024

Involtini
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Rating
4(1,678)
Comments
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Involtini, or eggplant rollatini as it’s known to many Italian-Americans, is one of the dishes you'll find yourself making again and again in some style or other. Slice eggplant thinly, then oil and grill it. The vegetable’s oily blandness is perfectly countered by the salty, minty, raisin-and-pine-nut-studded filling. Best of all, the eggplant can be grilled and the filling can be made in advance, and then assembled about half an hour to an hour before serving. Enjoy the rolling up: It's like basket-weaving, only more useful.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 3eggplants, about 1 pound each, trimmed and cut lengthwise into slices ¼ inch thick (about 16 slices total)
  • ¾cup olive oil, or as needed
  • 8ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • ½cup pine nuts
  • ⅓cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes until plump, then drained
  • ¼cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
  • 2tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 1garlic clove, peeled and minced
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1½teaspoons dried mint
  • 2tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
  • 1large egg, beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2½cups drained canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1large ball fresh mozzarella in ¼-inch slices
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

856 calories; 70 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 36 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 1222 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a ridged cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and cook, turning, until soft and (if using a ridged pan) crisscrossed with grid marks. Set aside and allow to cool.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine feta, pine nuts, raisins, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, bread crumbs, garlic, lemon zest, mint and parsley. Mix in egg, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Spread eggplant slices on a surface, and divide stuffing evenly among them, placing 1 to 2 tablespoons at one end of each slice. Roll up slices tightly to secure filling, and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or other shallow baking pan in which rolls fit snugly in a single layer).

  4. Step 4

    Pour crushed tomatoes on top of eggplant rolls. Arrange mozzarella slices in a line lengthwise down center of pan. Drizzle olive oil evenly over pan, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until cheese has melted and eggplant is bubbling and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,678 user ratings
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Comments

TlalocBrooklyn

I'm amazed at how many commenters put their own spin on it before trying the original. I made it exactly as I was told and it was delicious. The flavor of the mint, raisins, pine nuts, and lemon zest added up to a "what IS that" effect that I fear a more complex tomato topping would have overpowered. I really encourage anyone to try this recipe as written before making substitutions.

brooklynjen

forgot to say, I roasted the slices at 475 rather than pan frying - much faster & easier.

Laura Perry

This is a fabulous dish that I've made many times for big groups. To save time, you can simply layer it as a casserole: Put a bit of the tomatoes in the bottom of the dish, then layer the eggplant and feta filling. Top with tomatoes, then mozzarella slices. If doing it this way, you might want to peel the eggplants so the skin doesn't pull your slices apart as you serve.

I’m so glad I tried this!

I was skeptical of using feta instead of ricotta, but I’m glad I did! I stayed to true to the flavors of the recipe with only a few minor changes. I used fresh mint instead of dried, and craisins instead of raisins (only because I had them on hand), and I added lemon juice to the olive oil I was using to brush the eggplant planks before grilling. Grilling the eggplant slices in my ridged pan took a long time, but it was worth the effort because it added so much flavor to the eggplant. I will make this again and again!

Clea

Love this recipe and have made it several times! I use fresh mint in season and a bit less olive oil, but otherwise perfect as is. If you can get your hands on some really tangy feta - like a good Bulgarian feta - do so!

JA

I meant to make it exactly as written but it turns out I didn’t have ant feta. I used blue cheese and it worked well. IMHO it is every bit as good as eggplant parmigiana and a lot less messy.

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