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eggplant meatballs

June 26, 2014 by Marie 4 Comments

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eggplant meatballs

Here’s a recipe that I’ve been wanting to try for a while because I love eggplant. Many ways. And so meatballs? Well, they had my name of them.

These were good!

Now, for the bad news: it’s sort of a time consuming recipe. But, like any other meatballs, you can make the mixture one day and then roll them and cook them the next day. That’s what I did, and it worked perfectly.

eggplant meatballs processNow, I chose to smother these babies in cheese, but if you are vegan or trying to cut down on the cheese, these would be fine simply with the sauce or maybe even with nutritional yeast? I haven’t tried that, but it’s just a thought..

eggplant meatballs-5My husband really wanted me to fry these and then bake them, but I thought I could get them crispy enough by just baking them. Now, I thought they were ample in the crispy department but he wanted them super crispy, probably like a falafel (they weren’t THAT crispy) and so, I may try frying a few for him.

For me, I’ll stick with the baked version.

eggplant meatballs

The inside were creamy and very flavorful. And this is a totally guilt-free meal!

eggplant meatballs-7

Recipe slightly adapted from Mark Bittman, via Williams Sonoma

4 from 1 vote
Print

eggplant meatballs

Meatless eggplant meatballs are an amazing way to get more vegetables into your diet. You won't miss the meat.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Author Marie@FeelingFoodish

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce:

  • 28 oz can of crushed or diced tomato
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 onion , chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic , minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil

For the eggplant meatballs (see note):

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound (500 g) eggplant, large dice (about 1 medium-large sized eggplant)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 onion , chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic , minced
  • 1 can white beans (butter, cannelloni, or navy)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

To serve:

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Tomato sauce from above

Instructions

For the sauce:

  1. In a medium sized saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the onion. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion becomes soft (about 3 minutes).
  2. Add the garlic and keep heating for another minute or so
  3. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and cook, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes
  4. Set aside.
  5. In the meantime, make the eggplant meatballs

For the meatballs:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  2. Use 1 tablespoon of oil to baking pan and place in the oven to preheat
  3. In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil, and add eggplant
  4. Cook eggplant over medium high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until tender and then transfer to a food processor
  5. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to now empty pan and add the onion. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the garlic and keep cooking for about another minute.
  6. In the meantime, rinse and drain the beans and add them to the food processor along with the parsley.
  7. Pulse the ingredients until combined but not pureed.
  8. Add the onion, garlic mixture, the breadcrumbs and the seasonings to the food processor with the eggplant mixture and pulse again.
  9. Form the mixture into 12 equally size balls
  10. Remove preheated pan from oven and arrange the meatballs on the tray
  11. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until firm and well browned.

To serve

  1. Serve with tomato sauce, or place in baking dish, top with cheeses and sauce and broil on low unti the cheese is melted (about 3 minutes)

Recipe Notes

You can make the mixture one night and then roll and cook them another night if you are short on time

 

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Filed Under: Main Meal, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Comments

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  1. Patricia @ ButterYum says

    September 10, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    I absolutely adore eggplant – these are going on my must make list!

    Reply
    • Marie says

      September 10, 2015 at 4:56 pm

      Thanks Patricia! I love eggplant too!

      Reply
  2. Paul says

    February 23, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    I enjoyed these but added some celery leaves & stalks cuz i didn’t have much parsley & served w/sauce & zitti but they didn’t hold their shape. I was wondering if perhaps I’d added an egg they might have stayed round & not lost there shape. Whats your opinion? I still enjoyed them & will try again cuz I love eggplant & thought it was tasty.

    Reply
    • Marie says

      February 24, 2015 at 2:40 pm

      Hi Paul – I would say maybe bake a little longer until firm or use a few tablespoons more breadcrumbs if you’re not opposed to extra bread. Otherwise, make sure you drain the beans well. I’d probably try baking a touch longer first. Maybe see how soft/firm they are before removing them from the oven? They are tasty!

      Reply
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This is one of my new favorite ways to enjoy eggplant! This is so delicious I can eat the whole thing!! I love it with pockletless pita bread or flatbread. Try this soon, you won't be sorry - promise!
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