Eggplant Orzo Lasagna Rolls
If you’re a vegetarian, meat eater, or 100% plant based, I believe this recipe for my Eggplant Orzo Lasagna Rolls is one that everyone can enjoy. You get the lasagna feel, without the heaviness of lasagna noodles. While there still is pasta in this dish, it’s lighter and acts more as a filling.
Confession: This recipe for Eggplant Orzo Lasagna Rolls was a complete accident that ended up being one of the best accidents EVER! Yes, I was trying to create a different recipe (which I will totally share with you one day), and this dish ended up as the outcome. My family gobbled it right up, which is impressive because Eggplant isn’t always the most popular ingredient amongst my crew. So, that is my assurance that this recipe is a winner. Therefore, it was a must that I share it with you as another Italian dinner option. It can be a plant based dinner option too if you decide to go with plant based cheese.
What ingredients do you need to make Eggplant Orzo Lasagna Rolls?
- Eggplants
- Orzo Pasta
- Marinara Sauce
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Italian Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
Tips on how to make the best Eggplant Lasagna Rolls.
- Choose the largest eggplants you can find.
- Pat dry with a paper towel to take out as much moisture as possible.
- Be careful not to overcook when roasting your eggplant slices before assembling.
Ingredients
- Orzo
- 3 large Eggplants
- 1 Onion
- 5 oz Mushrooms
- 1 Large bunch of Spinach or 2c of frozen spinach (thawed)
- 25 oz Marinara sauce
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 c Mozzarella Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Preparing your eggplant
- Clean your eggplant and cut off each end of the plant.
- Slice your eggplant lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick.
- Lay your slices on a large baking sheet.
- Pat dry each slice with a paper towel.
- Brush a little oil then sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 18 minutes, then let cool until you are ready to assemble your rolls.
Preparing your Orzo Filling
- Make your orzo pasta according to the package instructions. Save 2 cups of your pasta water before draining.
- In a large pot, begin to sauté your onions and mushrooms using your oil of choice.
- Once onions begin to look translucent stir in seasonings and minced garlic.
- Stir in your orzo pasta.
- Toss in your spinach pasta water while giving everything a good stir. Cover your pot and turn heat down to low.
Now it’s time to assemble your eggplant rolls.
- First, start by adding sauce to the bottom of your baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Take one slice of eggplant, spread marinara sauce on the slice, then add a spoonful of your orzo mixture.
- Roll the eggplant, then place it in the dish seam down.
- Continue to do this until you have no more rolls or your dish is filled to capacity.
- Top your rolls with more sauce and your mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese has completely melted.
- Enjoy!
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