Involtini di Melanzane

Sounds better than "eggplant rolls", forgive me for switching to Italian.

This is vegan and good, but if you must, add mozzarella, ricotta or another cheese to the filling, and I admit, it would be better.

I've played around with this a bunch and think this is the best permutation. Definitely the healthiest.

The sweet soft peppers contrast nicely with the crispy eggplant, the sauce rounds things out and the basil is the cherry on top of it all. So tasty you don't even notice how little fat, dairy, and carbs are involved...

Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Rolls

2 cups or so marinara sauce
2 eggplants
2 red bell peppers
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
10 leaves basil, plus more to garnish

I made my marinara from leftover roast grape tomatoes, but any version would do.

For the rolls, I like to peel my eggplant, antioxidants be damned. The skin gets tough when roasted and I've found it affects the crispiness of the final product too. So peel them, or don't, and slice lengthwise (the long way) into 1/3 inch thick strips. Brush with olive oil on both sides and place on well oiled baking sheets (they stick! a lot!). Core the bell pepper and cut into inch-wide strips, and add to your baking sheets. Salt everything and bake for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Add the sauce to an ovenproof casserole and place in the oven to heat through when the veg has 10 minutes left. Remove eggplant when nicely browned and crisp, the peppers will be done too, they are pretty forgiving. Sandwich a basil leaf between 2 pepper slices, then roll into the eggplant slice. Grab your nice warm sauce out of the oven and place the eggplant rolls on top, garnishing with the extra basil.