Parmesan meatballs crispy, tasty, and flavorful. Me and meatballs get along perfectly! From classic and irresistible Meatballs to countless versions with vegetables, fish, chicken, and more! The recipe I want to share with you today is for tasty and flavorful Eggplant Meatballs with a delicious melted filling. All the ingredients of the classic Eggplant Parmesan transformed into crispy Eggplant Meatballs. I added a cube of scamorza cheese in the center of the meatballs to make them irresistible. I fried them and served them with a simple tomato sauce. Needless to say how good they are! I just recommend you try them right away and don’t forget to let me know if they won you over at the first bite as they did for me. So let’s run to the kitchen and prepare together some delicious Eggplant Meatballs with Tomato
AND DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES TOO:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
- Energy 351.94 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 14.54 (g) of which sugars 2.85 (g)
- Proteins 12.96 (g)
- Fat 27.61 (g) of which saturated 3.87 (g)of which unsaturated 11.87 (g)
- Fibers 2.50 (g)
- Sodium 334.60 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Eggplant Meatballs
- 14 oz eggplants
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 sprig basil
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz scamorza cheese
- to taste salt
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste seed oil (for frying)
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste salt
How to prepare Parmesan Meatballs
Wash the eggplants. Remove the stem and cut them first into slices and then into cubes. I prefer not to peel the eggplants, but you can choose to peel them first. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a clove of garlic, and the eggplants into a pan. Let the eggplants cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring them often with a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic clove, and transfer the eggplants to a bowl. Let them cool.
Mash the eggplants simply with a fork. Add an egg, a pinch of salt, a few torn basil leaves, and the grated parmesan to the eggplants. Mix and add 4.5 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and mix. You should obtain a soft but not too sticky mixture to form the meatballs. If needed, add more breadcrumbs.
Cut the scamorza cheese into cubes. Take a handful of the mixture, spread it in your hand, and insert a cube of scamorza in the center. Close it and form a meatball, giving it a rounded shape. Roll the eggplant meatball in the breadcrumbs, making sure it sticks all around. Prepare all the meatballs in the same way.
Dip the meatballs in hot seed oil and let them cook well on all sides. I recommend using a small and deep pan and frying a few at a time. Let them drain on paper towels.
Prepare the sauce: pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a clove of garlic into a saucepan. Let it lightly fry over medium heat, then add the tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons of water, and adjust the salt. Let the sauce cook for 7-8 minutes, at the end of cooking remove the garlic clove and add a few basil leaves.
You can serve the meatballs by placing a few spoons of sauce on the plate first, or you can choose to dip them directly into the sauce.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, a hug, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
I preferred to fry the Eggplant Meatballs but if you prefer, you can bake them in the oven or use an air fryer
Don’t miss the recipe for Quick Zucchini Meatballs ready in a few minutes
