Kale and Ricotta Stuffed Eggplant Rolls

Eggplant rolls sound fussy, but this one is mostly waiting. The eggplant strips roast in a hot oven until they are soft enough to bend without cracking, and that step does most of the work. Give them a few minutes to cool before you try to roll them. Warm eggplant is floppy and will tear, while cooled strips hold their shape around the filling.

The filling is a simple mix of ricotta, a little mozzarella, and Greek yogurt, which keeps it creamy without a lot of cheese. Kale goes in after it has been softened in the pan with onion and garlic. Squeezing the cooked kale mixture of extra moisture is worth the thirty seconds it takes, because a wet filling makes the rolls slide around in the sauce.

A fact that surprised me when I first made eggplant this way: the vegetable is technically a berry, and it soaks up oil like a sponge. That is why a light mist of cooking spray on the strips works better than brushing on oil. You get the browning and the tenderness without a greasy plate.

Leftovers keep well for a few days in the fridge. Reheat a portion covered, so the sauce loosens and the rolls do not dry out at the edges. I have also eaten them cold, straight from the container, and they are still good that way.

For a meal around these, I like something crunchy and sharp next to the soft, saucy rolls. A bowl of Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Toasted Quinoa does the job, and so does a plate of Lemon Herb Chickpea Bulgur Salad, which is bright with lemon and echoes the basil on top. Both give your fork something to do besides the rolls. If you want something to start with, Fig and Goat Cheese Phyllo Cups make a good bite-sized opener.

Basil goes on at the very end, after the dish has rested. It stays bright and green that way, and the cool leaves against the hot sauce make the whole thing taste fresher than it has any right to be.