How to make
Start by making the Napolitana sauce.
Pour olive oil into a thick-bottomed pot. Add the chopped onion, pressed garlic, chopped leeks, salt and cook for a few minutes, until they soften over medium heat. Add the canned tomatoes and tomato puree and sprinkle with two pinches of Italian seasoning.
Add about 7 fl oz (200 ml) of water and let it simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. If desired, add a little more water. Remove and sprinkle with a little black pepper to taste and a spoonful of sugar to soften the acidity of the tomatoes. Stir. Set aside.
Wash the eggplants, do not peel them, remove their ends. Remove the first slice from the side so that it can be as flat as possible. Cut it into slices, which are about 3 mm thick, they should not be thinner because they will quickly burn in the oven, arrange on a flat tray with baking paper. Sprinkle with olive oil and dried Italian herbs.
Bake at 180°C until golden. Take them out and cool briefly. The eggplant should be slightly cool, so that it is more elastic and can be easily rolled into a roll.
In a bowl, mix ricotta with the egg and add 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella and a little of the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Add a little lemon juice, a few drops, salt and black pepper to taste. Stir until a paste is obtained.
Pour a few tablespoons of Neapolitan sauce into a baking tray. Cover the tray well.
Each piece of baked eggplant is placed on a board and 1 tbsp. of the ricotta mixture is placed in the middle, distributed evenly and rolled into a roll.
Place it in the tray on the sauce, leaving a small distance between the eggplant pieces. On top of each roll is placed 1 tsp. of tomato sauce, sprinkled with mozzarella.
The stuffed eggplants are baked at 360°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes. Once ready, sprinkle with a little chopped basil. Serve three rolls on a plate, pouring a little of the sauce over them.
The eggplant cannelloni are very tasty.
Note: A wonderful eggplant with a superb filling, although I personally find its skin annoying, but it is impossible without it, because when baking, if it is not there, it will tear, it is the skin that holds it together, but anyone can easily remove it after serving.
A mix of dried Italian spices can be found in most stores.
