| Preparation time | 30 min |
| Cooking Time | 40 min |
| Ready In | 1 h 10 min |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil6 cloves garlic, minced1 ½ pounds eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1†cubes (you should have 8 cups)1/4 cup water1 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese½ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped4 eggs, beaten (you can use between 2-4 eggs, but I like to use 4 for extra protein and to hold the meatballs together better)1 ½ cups dried breadcrumbs (you can use 1 cup, but the meatballs will be much softer)1/8 teaspoon of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper3 cups of homemade tomato sauce, see recipe belowoptional: 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake
Directions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Warm olive oil and sauté garlic until just fragrant and barely starting to lightly brown, about 30 seconds. Add eggplant and water. Reduce heat to low and cover the skillet. Allow eggplant to steam until soft, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, if you have time.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
- Place the eggplant mixture in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well chopped, but not pureed. Or just do this on a cutting board with a knife.
- Transfer eggplant to a large mixing bowl and add cheese, parsley, basil, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Stir mixture well to combine using your hands or a wooden spoon. The mixture can be refrigerated at this point, covered for up to a day. It is easier to roll into meatballs when the mixture is cooled down. (If doing so, preheat the oven 30 minutes before baking the meatballs.)
- Roll mixture into 1 ½ †balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm on the outside and light brown underneath.
- Transfer meatballs to a large saucepan with marinara sauce and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Notes: You can also shape these into veggie burgers. If fresh basil isn’t available, you can add a few dashes of dried basil and dried oregano.