Perhaps I’ve often told you, but for those who still don’t know, here in Sicily we have an almost visceral instinct to bread and turn anything into meatballs: meat, fish, vegetables, and even legumes! The “purpetti” or “badduzze” in particular, are never missing from our tables, perhaps because, traditionally, they are the dish of the day after, meaning made from leftovers of a previous lunch or dinner, thus also a great recycling dish! Over time, making meatballs has become a real must regardless of the abundance during meals, and thus many versions have been created from the same ingredient! For example, those made from eggplants, are often prepared simply with the addition of eggs, stale bread, pecorino, and parsley, but, if desired, they can be enriched by adding other ingredients like in my case ricotta. Moreover, preparing them is very simple, and they are an explosion of flavor with every bite! The recipe includes an initial baking in the oven, then they are dipped in a delightful sauce and cooked for five minutes in a pan. They will be the perfect vegetarian main course to win over even the most demanding palates thanks to their softness and deliciously tantalizing flavor!

Are you crazy about vegetable meatballs? Here below is a series of tasty alternatives that might interest you:

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Medium
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 35 Minutes
Portions: 15 meatballs
Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Summer

Ingredients:

2 eggplants
2.8 oz sheep ricotta
2.1 oz stale bread
1 egg
3 tbsps breadcrumbs
1.8 oz grated Parmesan
14 oz tomato sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
as needed milk
1 clove garlic
aromatic herbs (thyme, basil, and mint)
as needed dried oregano
as needed extra virgin olive oil
as needed salt
as needed pepper

Tools:

⚠ THIS RECIPE INCLUDES ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!

Absorbent paper
1 Knife
1 Scoop
1 Baking tray
2 Parchment paper
2 Bowls
1 Sieve
1 Spoon
1 Tray
1 Pan
1 Lid

Steps:

Wash the eggplants under running water, pat them dry with absorbent paper, remove the stalk, and cut them in half lengthwise. Score the flesh diagonally to form diamond shapes but without cutting too deep.
Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, season the surface with a mix of aromatic herbs, and bake at 392°F for about 45′ minutes, checking the cooking from time to time.
Once cooked, turn off the oven, let them cool down, and with the help of a scoop, extract all the flesh.
Cut the bread into cubes removing the crust, place it in a bowl and pour over enough milk to soften it. Once tender, gather it with your hands and squeeze out the excess.
In another large bowl, transfer the eggplant flesh along with the egg and the previously well-drained ricotta using a sieve.
Add the squeezed bread crumb and the aromatic herbs: stripped thyme, torn basil, and mint.
Incorporate the Parmesan and breadcrumbs and mix until you get a well-homogeneous dough; if it’s too soft, add more breadcrumbs until it’s firm but not hard.
Take small portions of the mixture, about the size of a walnut, and form your meatballs.
Arrange them on a tray or serving plate. Let them chill in the fridge for 30′ to firm up.
After this time, transfer the meatballs to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for 25′.
Then turn them over and continue cooking for another 5′. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large non-stick pan with a thick base, brown the garlic clove with a generous drizzle of oil.
Add the tomato sauce and the paste diluted with a little water, season with salt and pepper, aromatize with 2 basil leaves, and cook for about 5′.
Dip the meatballs into the sauce, spreading them in the sauce, then cover with a lid and let them simmer for 5′ over low heat.
Serve them at room temperature or just warm, garnished with more thyme or fresh basil leaves.
And voilà… your eggplant and ricotta meatballs in sauce are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!