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Spinach and Ricotta Rollatini
Prep time:10 mins- Cook time:40 mins
Servings:1
‘Rollatini’ is a take on the Italian term ‘involtini’, which involves small bundles of thinly sliced rolled meat or vegetables around a filling. Similar to the idea of stuffed cannelloni pasta tubes, this high-fibre Italian recipe involves thinly sliced rolls of foods like zucchini/courgette or eggplant/aubergine to make a healthier version of the pasta favourite. It’s a true comfort food, ideal for when you’re craving something hearty on a fasting day.
The key ingredient that makes this high-fibre Italian recipe delicious as well as low carb and fasting-friendly is the aubergine (or eggplant). Using this versatile fruit (yes, they’re technically a fruit), rather than a carbohydrate like pasta, adds nutrients and flavour. Aubergine is low calorie due to its high water content, but is high in fibre and nutrients that studies show support heart health, gut health, and stabilise blood sugars.1 2 Plus, the deep purple skin contains the anti-inflammatory antioxidant ‘nasunin’ which has been shown to reduce oxidative stress that can otherwise lead to accelerated aging and chronic disease.3
The other key flavours are brought in by the classic spinach and ricotta combination. Beloved for its rich flavour and creamy texture, spinach and ricotta is not only sure to excite your taste buds, but it’ll do your body some good too. Spinach is full of nutrients like iron, potassium and vitamins C, A and K, while ricotta contains whey protein which is packed full of essential amino acids that aid muscle repair and satiety.
Have fun with the family rolling up your cheesy rollatini, and serve with a side of steamed non-starchy vegetables or a crunchy green salad. Plus, try batch-cooking it: simply pop spare portions in the freezer for later.
For more tasty, fasting-friendly recipes like this high-fibre Italian recipe, head to The Fast 800 Programme.
Ingredients
- 60g spinach, chopped
- 150g aubergine (eggplant), thinly sliced lengthways
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ¼ onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 100g passata
- ¼ tsp oregano
- 30ml water
- 100g ricotta
- fresh basil
- 40g mozzarella, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to fan forced 180°C/200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
- Wilt the spinach with some boiled water. Drain, squeeze, and set aside in a large bowl.
- Place the aubergine slices on a lined baking tray and brush with a little of the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes until tender. Set aside to cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the passata, oregano, and water, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes, add a bit more water if it is reducing too much.
- While the sauce is cooking, add the ricotta, fresh basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the spinach. Mix everything together until thoroughly combined.
- Add half the sauce to the bottom of a baking dish. To assemble the rollatini, add a spoonful of ricotta mixture in the centre of a slice of aubergine, then roll it up. Repeat with the remaining aubergine and ricotta mixture, placing them on top of the sauce as you go.
- Top the rollatini with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the mozzarella is golden and everything is heated through.
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Notes
- Serve with a crunchy green salad or steamed low calorie non-starchy vegetables.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat and serve.
- Batch cook and freeze in portions for up to 2 months. Defrost and reheat before serving.
- Some brands of cheese (including mozzarella and ricotta) may contain rennet so are not strictly vegetarian. Check the product you buy uses vegetarian ingredients. Brands vary, it is always important to read labels first.
- If substituting with frozen spinach, use about 3/4 of the weight of the fresh spinach.
- Reference 1 - Fallah AA, Sarmast E, Fatehi P, Jafari T. Impact of dietary anthocyanins on systemic and vascular inflammation: Systematic review and meta-analysis on randomised clinical trials. Food Chem Toxicol. 2020 Jan;135:110922. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2019.110922. Epub 2019 Oct 25. PMID: 31669599.
- Reference 2 - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.202101113
- Reference 3 - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464616300275