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meatless eggplant balls with orecchiette

chefgi avatar
Recipe by
Giselle Gonzalez
@chefgi
Bronx, NY

This dish are for those who need a break from meat or vegetarians. There is no meat at all, but it still has a rich hearty flavor that is both satisfying and healthy.

yield 4 -6
prep time 25 Min
cook time 1 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For meatless eggplant balls with orecchiette

  • 1 lb
    eggplant
  • 1 md
    onion diced
  • 2 clove
    garlic minced
  • bread crumbs
  • 1
    egg
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 bunch
    flat leaf parsley minced
  • parmesan cheese grated to taste
  • 2 can
    crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can
    tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp
    oregano dried crushed
  • 2
    bay leaves, dried
  • 1 clove
    garlic minced
  • 1 c
    water as needed
  • 1/4 c
    cup fresh basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • orecchiette or any pasta

How To Make meatless eggplant balls with orecchiette

  • 1
    Fill a medium pot with water and bring to boil, cut the eggplant into a medium dice and spoon into the pot. Cook until tender remove set aside to cool.
  • 2
    While the eggplant is cooling sauté the onion, garlic until translucent. Divide the onion using 1/4 for the eggplant balls and the rest for the sauce. Spoon into a bowl and allow it to cool. In the meantime take the eggplant and with a potato masher and mash not too much you want to keep some of the texture.
  • 3
    Add the onion, garlic, to the eggplant mix just to combine then add the breadcrumbs and the egg, Italian Parsley, and the Parmesan cheese season with salt and pepper to taste and gently combine, start forming the balls just like you would with meatballs, dredge the eggplant balls in some of the breadcrumbs. At this point you can either fry them or bake them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Oven should be preheated at 350'
  • 4
    In a sauce pot add 1tablespoon of Olive oil bring it up to heat then add the remainder onion, garlic warm it through then add the crushed tomatoes, Tomato sauce, add 1 teaspoon of dried Oregano crushed with your fingers, add the 2 Bay leaves. Mix well and bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat and partially cover.
  • 5
    When your eggplant balls are golden brown remove from the oven to cool down, in the meantime you can start to boil your water for the Pasta. You can use any pasta you'd like..Don't forget to salt your water well!!
  • 6
    When the pasta Is done, drain and pour into a bowl, stir the sauce correct the seasoning add the eggplant balls to the sauce simmer for a few minutes to warm through. Then mix the sauce with some of the pasta, serve with eggplant balls spooned onto the portion served. Enjoy!!
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