I’ve been eyeing this Rollitini in Veganomican for quite awhile. The writers make it sound very difficult, but it’s really not. If you get all the steps going in order, you can have the whole thing completed in about an hour. The key is to slice the eggplant very thinly. While the have you cut-off the sides (to avoid more of the peel), I say peel the eggplant and use the whole thing! Note the vegan Parmesan – called “Almandsan” in Veganomicon. Made of crushed almonds, toasted sesame seeds, lemon zest and garlic, it adds texture and a pleasing flavor to vegan Italian dishes.

The most amazing part about this recipe, I think, is the tofu ricotta. It was so easy to make, and really, I couldn’t tell the difference at all. Success! Here are the eggplant slices fried, stuffed with spinach and “ricotta” and rolled up. I added extra breadcrumbs on top, for added textures.

I made this with a basic marinara sauce, but added aged Greek olives and about a half a cup of red wine. I tend to like my food smothered in sauce, so that’s the way I make it.

On the side, I served some bruchetta I made with a delicious seeded baguette from Metropolitan Bakery, spreadable goat cheese, and just a quick tapenade of tomatoes, fresh and ripe from Iovine’s that day, fresh basil, a bit of herbed olive oil, and some salt. Scrumptious.