Vegan Eggplant Rollatini

I adapted this dish from a vegan umami cooking class I took one night last year. Pretty purple eggplant rolled with vegan cashew cheese and pesto, and baked in tomato sauce--it's so incredibly tasty, and sure to please anyone. It's casual and elegant, healthy yet comforting.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 888 Calories

Ingredients

• salt to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ lemon, juiced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons white miso
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ½ cups unsalted raw cashews
• ½ teaspoon raw sugar
• 3 cups roughly chopped basil leaves
• ⅓ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts
• 1 large light purple eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Step 2

Place cashews in a large bowl and cover with water; let soak for 7 hours. Drain.

Step 3

Combine cashews, red wine vinegar, miso, sugar, and salt in a high-speed blender; blend until mixture is thick and creamy.

Step 4

Combine basil leaves, walnuts, 1/4 cup olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor; blend until pesto is smooth.

Step 5

Toss eggplant with 1 1/2 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange eggplant on the baking sheet.

Step 6

Broil eggplant until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 7

Spread 3/4 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place 1 tablespoon cashew mixture and 1 tablespoon pesto on the end of an eggplant slice; roll up. Place seam-side down in the sauce. Repeat with remaining cashew mixture, pesto, and eggplant slices. Dot the eggplant with remaining marinara sauce. Cover dish with aluminum foil.

Step 8

Bake in the preheated oven until sauce is heated through, about 10 minutes.