eggplant parmesan meatballs with spaghetti
Maybe I should’ve written this like those fancy shmance menus do at multi-star restaurants:
Eggplant | Crispy crumb | Woodsy herb | Golden pasta | Crushed tomato marinara
Shit, that’s too much work. Let’s eat.
J and I flounced – okay, we didn’t flounce, we ambled precariously on legs wrecked by 22 and 23 mile runs – to a restaurant one Saturday that served these massive eggplant meatballs as an appetizer. I was hooked like a fish on a line. I often nowadays can’t eat out sans hearing the creak of my old man brain cogs working to assemble a suitable homemade riff. And this is mine of the meatballs. Good job, old man brain cogs.
If You Have the Balls…
I will not demand that anyone making this recipe creates a homemade marinara (though if you want to, Garlicky Mushroom Marinara is a suitable option) or whips out the pasta maker for from-scratch spaghetti (I can’t help you there, kids). It’s quite time consuming on its own because eggplant is two pains in the ass to deal with sometimes, so not exactly the fast weeknight meal I usually prefer to post.
I will say, however, they are a real treat, like classic eggplant parm rolled into a one-inch sphere. If you’ve the spare energy and the wherewithal, they’re so worth the ticking minutes.
Roasty Toasty
Grab a trio of eggplants. Big ones, preferably. Don’t let size dissuade you – half the eggplant is water and seeds, 1/4 is skin, and the remaining 1/4 is useful for meatballs.
Preheat the oven to 425. Shred the skin away from each eggplant with a vegetable peeler or a very sharp knife, then slice the eggplant lengthwise into four strips about a half inch thick. Lay out on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. This removes some of the moisture initially to make later draining less painful. Leave the eggplants alone for about 20 minutes. Water will bead on the surface.
Dab the water away from the eggplants and set one two lightly greased baking sheets. Drizzle with a touch of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes. You don’t need them completely cooked through, just enough to soften somewhat and encourage more moisture to evict itself from the crevices. Remove from the oven and let cool.
…Make the Balls
See what I did there. No? Okay. Fine. Let’s move on.
Next is the trickiest part of the meatballs. After this, it’s smooth sailing. Promise. Find a food processor and puree the cooled eggplant, then drop into a cheesecloth or clean tea towel and wring the shit out of the puree until as much water as possible dribbles out. Seriously, it’s a lot of water. Once the eggplant is relatively dried, set into a bowl.
Stir in some breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, a few fresh woodsy Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, and a dab of salt and pepper. Pour about 1/2 cup additional breadcrumbs into a small bowl. Place the meatball batter in the fridge for a bit to set. Preheat the oven to 450. Boil some water and cook up a big hunk of your favorite pasta. I recommend spaghetti. You can ignore my recommendations if you’re stubborn.
Roll the batter into about 1 inch balls and toss into the breadcrumbs. Set onto a greased baking sheet with a bit of space between each. Drizzle or spray with oil. Bake the balls for 15 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp.
Plop your spaghetti/stubbornly-not-spaghetti onto a plate, throw on some marinara, and relish in your high-class, upscale pasta and meatballs meal that doesn’t involve meat and isn’t remotely upscale. But, it’s delicious, and I guarantee that. Herby, just cheesy enough without removing that delicate roasted flavor eggplant provides when cooked.
If you like meal prepping, a big batch of meatballs is possible via doubling the recipe. Keep in mind it might be the only thing you meal prep all week. I ate the remainder of my single batch with two or three lunches, varying in their components, and when crisped back up in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or so, they tasted like new.
Rainy day on hand? Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs.
Emotionally rattled? I feel that. Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs.
See a trend here?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Cozy pastas ahoy!
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Ingredients
- 3 large eggplants
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- pinch red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- spaghetti or other pasta of choice
- marinara sauce and additional parmesan, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease two large baking sheets.
- Use a vegetable peeler or a very sharp knife (carefully, for fuck's sake) to peel the skin off. Discard. Sliceeach eggplant lengthwise into four 1/2 inch thick strips, for a total of 12 strips. Generously sprinkle salt on top. Lay out on paper towels to "sweat" for at least 20 minutes. Dab dry and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Drizzle with oil and bake the eggplant strips for 15 minutes. Let cool enough to handle, then add to a large food processor or high speed blender and puree until smooth. Using a cheesecloth or clean tea towel, wring out as much excess moisture as possible. You will notice a lot of liquid dripping from the 'plants!
- Drop puree into a bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. If the mixture seems too wet still, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour. I was quite violent with my eggplant wringing so I didn't need this, but you might if you're less angry than I am. Cover the bowl and set in the fridge for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
- Lightly spray a parchment lined baking sheet with oil or butter. Add remaining 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs into a small bowl. Form a 1 inch meatball out of the eggplant batter and roll into the breadcrumbs. Set onto baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter. I got 16 out of the batch. Spray the meatballs with a bit of oil and bake 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Serve meatballs over pasta with marinara sauce and additional parmesan, as desired.
