eggplant lasagna roll ups

Leave the peel on the eggplant and slice it on the thinest setting lengthwise on a mandolin. You need 14 to 18 slices of eggplant. If some slices don’t get cut evenly as one piece, you can layer a couple of pieces to make one roll up.

Sprinkle approximately 1 teaspoon of sea salt total, divided amongst each slice of eggplant, on both sides and lay overlapping on a baking sheet covered with paper towels. Let this sit for 20 minutes or so to release the moisture from the eggplant. Use clean paper towel to gently press and extract more moisture from the slices and pat dry.

While the eggplant is sweating, you can make the tofu ricotta. Start by squeezing out the excess water from the block of firm tofu by using a nut milk bag or clean dish towel and wring out as much water as possible. You could also squeeze the firm tofu into a fine mesh sieve to remove excess moisture.

Place the tofu in a food processor and add lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, onion powder, granulated garlic powder, white pepper, and garlic cloves. Process until it’s very smooth. Add the tofu ricotta mixture into a mixing bowl and fold in fresh basil, oregano, and parsley.

You can use canned lentils, drained, or cook from scratch. If cooking from scratch, boil 1 cup of uncooked lentils with 2 cups water, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in a sauce pan. Cook at a low simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through. Drain excess water if necessary and set aside.

In a non-stick pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook diced onions for 3 to 5 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic, granulated garlic, onion powder, dried oregano, diced eggplant, and mushrooms and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is lightly browned. Add cooked lentils and add sea salt to taste.

In an oven safe 9 x 13-inch or 10 x 14-inch baking dish, spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce and 1 tablespoon of olive on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread it around evenly so it covers the bottom of the dish.

To assemble the eggplant roll ups, spoon 1 teaspoon of vegan pesto one side of the eggplant slice and spread it around evenly. It’s just a thin layer. Then spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of tofu ricotta along the whole eggplant slice. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lentil filling on top of the ricotta. Roll it up and place seam side down in the baking dish on top of the marinara. Repeat and arrange remaining eggplant roll ups in baking dish. I was able to arrange 3 rows of 6 rolls in a 10-inch x 14-inch baking dish.

Spoon remaining tomato sauce on top of the eggplant roll ups. If there is any leftover ricotta or lentil mixture, you can add that on top of the assembled rolls as well. Top with vegan mozzarella shreds, bread crumbs, and ground pepper.