Eggplant Meatballs With Basil And Pecorino Romano

Eggplant meatballs (polpette di melanzane) are a quick and simple change from your traditional meatball recipe.  They’re the perfect meatless option and thanks to the delicious and hearty texture of the meaty eggplant, you won’t miss the “meat” at all.  

The eggplant meatballs don’t need a long cooking time like a traditional meatball and can simply be warmed up in tomato sauce.

For a real quick marinara, use the one from our 15-minute weekday marinara. 

That sauce takes only 15-20 minutes and can be whipped up while the eggplant meatballs are baking.

If you are looking for other meatless “meatball” options, check out our polpette di pane and our mushroom meatballs.

Simple ingredients in this one.  Basically, the same you would find in our classic Italian meatballs.   

The only difference (besides the eggplant) is the use of basil instead of parsley – basil just goes better with eggplant, in our opinion. 

The second change is using Pecorino Romano instead of Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan cheese.

Pecorino is a saltier cheese with a more powerful flavor than parmesan.  It’s the cheese traditionally used for cacio e pepe, spaghetti carbonara, and spaghetti amatriciana .  Love it in those and think it makes these eggplant meatballs shine!

But, use what you like.  Any good-quality Italian cheese will work great here!

How to make eggplant meatballs (polpette di melanzane)

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350f and setting the rack to the middle level.  Cube 2 medium eggplants as shown (approximately 4-6 cups of chopped eggplant).
2. Finely chop and make a paste out of 3 garlic cloves using the back of the knife.

3. In a pan large enough to accommodate the eggplant, saute the garlic on medium-low for 2 minutes in a 1/4 cup of olive oil.
4. Add the eggplant to the pan and mix the eggplant into the oil and garlic.
5. Add 3 ounces of water to the pan and cover.  Let the eggplant cook for 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes the eggplant will be soft.

7. Beat 2 eggs.
8. Place all the eggplant into a large mixing bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
9. To the bowl, add a 1/2 cup of roughly chopped basil leaves, 3/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese, 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs, 1 tsp black pepper, and the beaten eggs.
10. The mixture should be soft and sticky enough to roll the eggplant into approximately 2″ diameter balls.  If the mixture is too dry, use another egg.  If the mixture is too wet, slowly add a little bit more of the breadcrumbs.  Tip – To effectively roll them, keep a bowl of water on the counter and wet your hands before rolling each ball.  Alternatively, oiling your hands with olive oil will work as well to prevent the eggplant mixture from sticking to your hands.

11. Place the eggplant balls on an oiled wire rack or a parchment paper lined sheet pan.  Bake the balls for 25-30 minutes.
12. They will be nice and brown and can be simply placed in a pot of hot sauce and served within 5 minutes.

Serve the baked eggplant meatballs in your tomato sauce of choice or make a quick marinara.  Entirely up to you!  Don’t forget to serve them with more grated cheese and a nice loaf of Italian bread.

What to serve with eggplant meatballs

• Italian sauteed broccoli – Broccoli with garlic and olive oil.
• Sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic and olive oil – Satisfying bitter green veggie sauteed until tender.
• Green beans with garlic and oil – Crips string beans lightly sauteed in garlic, oil, and hot red pepper flakes.

Top tips

• Unseasoned breadcrumbs are recommended to let just the basil and cheese shine through.
• Use any type of firm, fresh eggplant.
• Make sure the eggplant isn’t too hot before adding the egg, cheese, and remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl.
• Roll the eggplant meatballs with wet or oiled hands to avoid sticking.
• No extra salt was added due to the inherent saltiness of Pecorino Romano cheese.
• The eggplant balls only need about 5 minutes of cooking in the sauce of your choice.

More great Italian eggplant recipes

• Eggplant Rollatini – Fried eggplant slices wrapped around creamy ricotta and baked to perfection.
• Pasta alla Siciliana – Roasted eggplant pieces tossed with cubes of mozzarella and pasta.
• Roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and ricotta salata – Round eggplant discs roasted and served in tomato sauce with fresh herbs.
• Italian pickled eggplant – Thin strips of eggplant salted to remove water, pickled, then topped with olive oil, garlic, cherry peppers, and parsley.
• Eggplant caponata with raisins – Sweet and sour Sicilian eggplant spread.
• Rigatoni alla Norma – Eggplant cubes tossed with ricotta Salata and fresh herbs in a garlicky marinara.
• Sicilian-style eggplant parmigiana without breadcrumbs – Easy no breading parmigiana that allows the eggplant flavor to truly shine.

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Watch the video below where Jim will show you how to make this recipe with easy-to-follow instructions. 

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