Step 1

Preheat the broiler. Peel the eggplant, leaving on alternating strips of skin. Slice into ½-inch-thick rounds (about 20).

Step 2

Mix the olive oil and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Grate in the garlic. Open the rolls on a baking sheet and brush the cut sides with some of the garlic-herb oil. Broil until toasted, about 1 minute. Set the rolls aside.

Step 3

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Working in batches, brush one side of the eggplant slices with some seasoned oil and season with salt. Grill seasoned-side down until nicely charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush with more of the oil and season with salt again; flip, then cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the eggplant and place on the roll bottoms as they are done, overlapping 3 or 4 slices slightly to cover the rolls.

Step 4

Drizzle the eggplant with marinara sauce (about 1/3 cup per sandwich), sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon parmesan and top with the sliced tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cover with provolone, tearing the slices as needed. Cover the other side of the rolls with more provolone. Broil the sandwiches open-face until the cheese melts, about 1 minute (do this in batches if necessary). Close the sandwiches and serve with salad.