sweat the eggplant lay eggplant slices on paper towels and lightly salt both sides. let sit 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then blot dry.

roast preheat oven to 400°F. brush both sides of eggplant lightly with olive oil and place on baking sheets. bake 10–12 minutes until soft and pliable but not browned. set aside.

make the filling in a bowl, mix ricotta, cottage cheese, egg, spinach, parmesan, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsely, salt, and pepper until smooth.

prep the sauce stir the calabrian chili paste into the marinara. spread about 3/4 cup of sauce across the bottom of a large baking dish (mine is 15” L x 9” W x 2.3” H).

assemble spoon a few tbsp worth of filling on the eggplant, spread it out, roll up, and place seam-side down in the sauce. repeat with all slices. top with remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with mozzarella.

bake bake uncovered at 400°F for 22 minutes until bubbling. broil a couple of minutes until cheese is golden and melty. let rest 10-15 minutes before serving, which helps with excess water.