1-First Step: Prepare Eggplant Slices Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Remove the eggplant tops and slice them lengthwise into 1 cm (¼ inch) thick pieces to ensure even cooking and ease of rolling. Lightly brush each slice with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet.

2-Second Step: Roast Eggplant Bake the eggplant slices in the oven for 20 minutes until tender and pliable. Once done, allow the slices to cool for easier handling when assembling the roll-ups.

3-Third Step: Wilt and Prepare Spinach In a frying pan over medium heat, sauté the fresh spinach with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let it cool, then squeeze out excess moisture and finely chop the spinach for the filling.

4-Fourth Step: Make the Tomato Sauce In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté finely chopped shallot and garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the canned chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup (60 ml) water, tomato paste, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Let the sauce simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

5-Fifth Step: Prepare the Ricotta and Spinach Filling In a large bowl, mix the chopped spinach, ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper thoroughly until you have a creamy, well-blended filling ready for stuffing the eggplant slices.

6-Sixth Step: Assemble the Roll-Ups Place a generous heaping tablespoon of the ricotta and spinach mixture at one end of each eggplant slice. Roll each slice tightly and place seam-side down in a baking dish.

7-Seventh Step: Bake with Sauce and Cheese Spread about three-quarters of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of the baking dish beneath the eggplant rolls. Cover the rolls with the remaining sauce. Tear the fresh mozzarella ball into pieces and distribute over the top.

8-Final Step: Bake and Serve Bake the rolled eggplants at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes until the mozzarella is melted, golden, and bubbly. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving warm.