This Eggplant Meatballs recipe is one of my favorite meatless meals to make. I often think that eggplant has a slightly meaty texture anyway, so that got me thinking that it could be a good alternative to beef or pork when making spaghetti and meatballs.
To make these “meatballs”, start by cooking and cooling eggplant. Make the meatball recipe by mixing cooled eggplant with breadcrumbs, flour, Pecorino and Parmesan cheeses, an egg, basil, parsley, garlic and salt. Freeze for 10 minutes to solidify the mixture. Shape into meatballs and bake in the oven. As the balls bake, make a tomato sauce. Heat the meatballs in the sauce before serving. Do not leave them in the sauce for too long or they will fall apart. Serve with spaghetti.
To make the Eggplant Meatballs, you will need the following ingredients:
Place one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and add the chopped eggplant. Stir the contents of the pan around to coat the eggplant with oil. Add a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Stir well and cover. Simmer and stir occasionally for about 20 minutes until the eggplant is very soft. Transfer to a shallow bowl and leave to cool.
Once the eggplant has cooled, place it in a large bowl with 1 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of grated Pecorino, ⅓ cup of freshly grated Parmesan, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons each of chopped basil and parsley, 3 minced cloves of garlic, and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Cover the bowl and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 °F and grease a baking sheet with oil and line with parchment paper.
Fill a bowl with water and use it to wet your hands as you roll the "meatballs". Brush the eggplant balls with a little olive oil and place them on the baking sheet.
Place the meatballs in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 smashed cloves of garlic in a large nonstick skillet. Sizzle for one minute, before adding the tomatoes with a splash of water. Add the basil, oregano, and a generous pinch of salt and bring it to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 4-5 more minutes. Do not cook for more than 5 minutes or they will fall apart in the sauce.
Serve with spaghetti, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
These Eggplant Meatballs are such a delicious alternative to meaty meatballs. If you try this dish, please come back to leave a review below with your thoughts!
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