Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs
Recipe from Jamie Vespa MS, RD · original post · full recipe on dishingouthealth.com
Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs offer all there is to love about Eggplant Parmesan in a vegetarian meatball. These eggplant meatballs are best served with marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, and crusty bread for dipping.
Ingredients
- eggplant — cut into 2.5 cm cubes680 g
- extra-virgin olive oil — divided90 ml
- kosher salt — ¾ tsp4.5 g
- seasoned breadcrumbs135 g
- Parmesan — grated, plus more to garnish40 g
- fresh parsley — chopped15 g
- eggs — 1 whole egg plus 1 yolk2 ea
- garlic cloves — thinly sliced3 ea
- black pepper0.5 tsp
- onion powder0.5 tsp
- marinara sauce680 g
- whole-milk ricotta125 g
- loaf crusty bread — to serve1 ea
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place eggplant in a 13x9-inch baking dish; toss with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and salt. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Let chill for 15 to 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle. (Keep the oven at 375°F (190°C).)
- Place eggplant in a food processor and pulse about 10 to 12 times, or until the eggplant is finely chopped/broken down. Add breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, eggs, garlic, black pepper, and onion powder. Continue pulsing until the mixture is well-combined. Form into 20 mini meatballs (about 2 Tbsp. each).
- Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add half the meatballs and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, turning to cook all sides, until browned. Repeat with second batch of eggplant meatballs, adding another 1 Tbsp. oil as needed to the pan.
- Spread marinara sauce in the same 13x9-inch baking pan you roasted the eggplant in. Arrange eggplant meatballs in the pan, along with dollops of ricotta cheese throughout.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 to 18 minutes, until the marinara is bubbly. Garnish with extra fresh chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese. Serve warm with crusty bread.
Cooking for a different diet?
Swaps that keep this dish what it is. The prices on this page are for the recipe as written.
Gluten-free
- 135 g Gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of seasoned breadcrumbs
- 400 g Gluten-free bread instead of loaf crusty bread
Gluten-free breadcrumbs soak up more moisture, so chill the mixture for 10 minutes if it feels soft before rolling; frying and baking times are unchanged.
Dairy-free
- 40 g Dairy-free parmesan instead of parmesan
- Leave out the whole-milk ricotta
Pulse in the dairy-free parmesan as written and skip the ricotta dollops; timings are unchanged.
Swaps are suggestions — check labels if you are cooking for an allergy.
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- eggplant · 680 g
- extra-virgin olive oil · 90 ml
- kosher salt · 4.5 g
- seasoned breadcrumbs · 135 g
- Parmesan · 40 g
- fresh parsley · 15 g
- eggs · 2 items
- garlic cloves · 3 items
- black pepper · 0.5 tsp
- onion powder · 0.5 tsp
- marinara sauce · 680 g
- whole-milk ricotta · 125 g
- loaf crusty bread · 1 item