Eggplant Involtini

Ingredients

• 550 grams eggplants (about 2 medium eggplants)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 10 grams garlic (1 large clove), grated
• 160 grams raw cashew nuts (about 1 cup)
• 200 grams farro perlato (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 15 grams flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 2 1/2 cups basic tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup panko

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. 2
   Trim the tops off the eggplants and slice them lengthwise about 1/3-inch (8 millimeters) thick (you should get about 11 slices from each eggplant).
3. 3
   Whisk the olive oil and garlic together in a large bowl and then quickly dip each slice of eggplant in the mixture to coat both sides evenly, scraping off the excess oil on the side of the bowl. Arrange each slice on baking sheets in a single layer. Save the remaining olive oil and garlic mixture for the topping.
4. 4
   Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and pepper and then bake until lightly browned and tender (about 10 minutes).
5. 5
   Meanwhile, boil some water and pour the boiling water over the raw cashew nuts. Let the cashews soak for 30 minutes.
6. 6
   Wash the farro and add it to a pot with 5 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil and then turn down the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until tender, about 25-30 minutes.
7. 7
   When the cashews are done soaking, add 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid to a small food processor or high-speed blender and then drain the cashews. Add the soaked cashews, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the food processor and process until smooth and creamy (you may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times.
8. 8
   When the farro is done, drain it and add it to a bowl with the pureed cashew and minced parsley. Stir to combine.
9. 9
   Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
10. 10
    Pour the basic tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water into a 10" x 10" casserole dish and stir to combine.
11. 11
    To make the rolls, add about 2 tablespoons of filling to the broad side of each piece of eggplant and roll, placing the finished rolls in the tomato sauce seam-side down. Don't use the edge pieces of the eggplant if you have enough middle slices.
12. 12
    Add the panko to the remaining garlic oil from the eggplants and stir to combine. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the rolled eggplants. Bake until the panko is golden brown and the tomato sauce is thick and bubbly (about 40 minutes).