Italian Eggplant Balls Recipe

By Katie Moseman
Published on September 9, 2019
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Photo by Pixabay/Peggy Choucair

Use these Italian Eggplant Balls instead of traditional meatballs to top your spaghetti or fill a submarine roll.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour for the eggplant, 30 minutes for the eggplant balls

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons mashed roasted garlic (see recipe), or substitute 2 cloves fresh garlic very finely chopped
  • 1 cup finely crushed cracker crumbs (gluten free: substitute gluten free breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs)
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Pierce the eggplant a couple of times with a fork. Place it on the baking sheet and then into the oven.
  2. Bake for 45 minutes, then let the eggplant cool until it is cool enough to handle.
  3. Cut the top (stem) off the eggplant, then remove the peel by pulling down strips from the top to the bottom.
  4. Place the eggplant, garlic, and oil in a food processor.  Pulse a few times, scrape down the sides with a spatula, then pulse again until it forms a thick, slightly chunky mixture.
  5. Add the eggplant mixture to a mixing bowl, and then add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix thoroughly.
  6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Form the eggplant mixture into balls and bake for 30 minutes.

More from I Hate Vegetables Cookbook:

 

 Cover courtesy of Fortunella Press


Excerpted with permission from I Hate Vegetables Cookbook: Fresh and Easy Vegetable Recipes That Will Change Your Mind by Katie Moseman and published by Fortunella Press. Follow Katie Moseman on Facebook @recipeforperfection, Twitter: @recipeforperfec, Instagram: @recipeforperfection, and Pinterest: @recipeforperfec

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