Happy Monday! I can't believe it's Cinco de Mayo and I'm NOT sharing a Mexican dish! That's because today, I'm blogging over at The Best Blog Recipes. If you didn't know, I'm a monthly contributor, so check it out over there.
Today I'm going to share my newest creation, Eggplant Cannelloni.
Have you all been jumping on board with #MeatlessMonday? I try, but I admit, sometimes I forget, and well, I can't help but to love meat! But this week, we can all participate together, with this Eggplant Cannelloni dish.
Traditionally, cannelloni is a tube shaped pasta that is filled with cheesy goodness. But, if you know me, I'm not always traditional in the kitchen. I like to keep an element of tradition but bring a fun twist to a dish. I found the inspiration for this dish on Self.com but of course I totally transformed it.
In keeping with untraditional cannelloni, the filling is a bit different here too. With pasta cannelloni, I always use ricotta, but I thought I would use an herbed cheese. While I was searching for it in the grocery store (they keep moving things around on me), I came across a new Greek yogurt herbed cheese, and I knew that was just the right kind of tang I wanted for this dish. Have you tried this yet?
When I started this dish, I wasn't planning on serving it with pasta, but it didn't seem like enough to fill up my husband. So the pasta is totally optional. I was thinking, actually, this made a great entrée with the pasta, but in the future, I may serve without the pasta as a first course. And while my husband wasn't a huge fan of this dish, (it wasn't surprising, he never enjoys my meatless meals, he is a true carnivore), he did L-O-V-E- the sauce. I'm not sure what gives it the pizazz, the roasted red peppers or the capers, or both? Because the sauce is super easy and quick cooking, I will definitely be using it for a quick weeknight pasta meal!
The recipe for Eggplant Cannelloni can also be found on my contributor post over at The Best Blog Recipes. Please visit.
Printable Recipe Card
Eggplant Cannelloni
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- Cooking Spray
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 onion small, diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 12 oz jarred roasted red peppers reserve 2 T liquid
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 T capers
- 6 oz herbed spreadable cheese ex. Aloutte, Green Mountain Greek Yogurt Spreadable Cheese
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 T parsley freshly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Slice eggplant lengthwise very thin . Spray with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Cook in the preheated oven about 10 minutes, until softened and golden in color.
- Set aside.
- While eggplant is cooking, heat 1 T olive oil in large skillet. Add onion, cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cook an additional 1 minute. Add roasted red peppers, 2 T of the roasted red pepper liquid, crushed tomatoes and capers. Simmer, 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, process the sauce.
- Spoon just enough sauce into a 9x13 casserole dish to cover the bottom.
- In a bowl, combine herbed cheese, zest and parsley.
- Place 1-2 T of cheese filling on the end of each eggplant slice and roll up.
- Place each roll atop the sauce in the casserole dish, seam side down.
- Spoon a little sauce over each roll.
- Bake 15 minutes.
- Serve over pasta with remaining sauce. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.
Amy R. says
This looks really yummy! We are starting to do Meatless Mondays in our house so this would make a great dinner option! Pinning! 🙂
foodyschmoody says
Glad to hear your trying meatless Mondays. I really need to be more strict about it over here.
Hollie Pollard says
Got to love a good eggplant recipe! It has to be the capers that elevates it though. 🙂
foodyschmoody says
I think you're right about the capers. Gosh I love capers! thanks for stopping by Hollie
Katherines Corner says
I love this!!! Pinned! Thank you for sharing your sweet blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop. Watch for your feature on Monday ♥
foodyschmoody says
Yay! Thanks so much Katherine.
Ricki @ The Questionable Homesteader says
This looks great, I will have to head over to get the full recipe. I'm a meatless everyday kind of girl so I'm absolutely on board with the meatless Monday thing 😉
Thanks for sharing at The Weekend Social #19
Ricki
Gaye @CalmHealthySexy says
This looks fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing with the Let's Get Real party. I am pinning it to our group board.