Eggplant Rolls with Goat Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice eggplant lengthwise into thin slices. Lay the slices on a rimmed baking sheet, spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Bake for 7 minutes, flip the slices, then bake for another 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven, set pan on a rack and turn oven down to 350 F.

In the meantime, make your sauce. In a blender, blend together tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, garlic and 3 tablespoons of the fresh herbs. Add salt and pepper if you like (I only added pepper since I used canned tomatoes).

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add sauce. Cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally while you prepare the rest of your eggplant.

In a bowl, mix together the goat cheese, capers, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of herbs. Once your eggplant is cool enough to handle, lay some of the goat cheese filling on an eggplant slice then roll it up and place it seam side down into the sauce. Repeat until you’ve rolled all your eggplant (you might have some left over filling which I like to sprinkle on top after baking).

Put the skillet into the oven. Bake for another 10-15 minutes then sprinkle with remaining goat cheese/herb filling and serve. One eggplant (depending on the size) should serve 2-3 as a main dish.