Eggplants… I adore them! This year I experimented with many recipes, some of which you’ve already found here on the blog, but the eggplant meatballs were still missing. In the past I tried them, but they never came out as I hoped: taste and texture never fully satisfied me.
This time, however, I found the perfect combination. Cheesy, flavorful, and irresistible eggplant meatballs, perfect served hot or cold. A true little pleasure to enjoy at any time!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 14 oz eggplants (about 1 lb)
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (coarse)
- 2 tbsp Grana Padano PDO
- 2 eggs
- 1 oz stringy mozzarella-style cheese (cubed)
- 1/2 onion
- 4 leaves basil
- salt
- black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
To prepare these delicious eggplant meatballs, start by washing the eggplants under cold running water. Remove the stem and cut them into cubes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and immerse the eggplant cubes. Cook for about 5 minutes with a pinch of salt, then drain them in a colander and let them rest for 15 minutes: during this time they will release the excess water absorbed during cooking.
Once cooled, transfer them to a bowl and add breadcrumbs, Grana Padano, eggs, salt, pepper, finely chopped onion, and chopped basil. Mix well until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Cut the stringy cheese, such as Galbanino, into rough cubes and set aside.
Take a tablespoon of the mixture and form balls. Insert a cube of cheese into the center and close with a little more mixture, reshaping the ball. As they are ready, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Drizzle a little oil over the meatballs and bake in a preheated oven at 374°F for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and enjoy your cheesy eggplant meatballs immediately, perfect served hot… but also delicious cold!
