Ciao Chow Linda

Eggplant “Meatballs”

Recipe Type: main

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Ciao Chow Linda (adapted from Domenica Marchetti’s “The Glorious Vegetables of Italy”

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant

• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 2 garlic cloves, pressed

• 1/2 teaspoon slat

• 3-4 ounces grated pecorino Romano cheese

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

• breadcrumbs for dredging

• vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Prick a large eggplant with the tines of a fork and place the eggplant on a roasting pan.

2. Set the pan in a preheated 350 degree oven and roast for about one and a half hours, until the skin looks shriveled and the interior is completely cooked through.

3. Let the eggplant cool, then strip off the skin.

4. It should peel off easily with your fingers.

5. Mince the flesh with a large chopping knife, or use a potato masher to mash.

6. Add all the rest of the ingredients (except the breadcrumbs for dredging and the vegetable oil), and mix everything together.

7. Roll into balls the size of a golf ball or smaller if you want to serve them as hors d’oevres.

8. Dredge the balls in the breadcrumbs and fry in sizzling hot oil.

9. Turn the balls over to brown the other side, then remove and drain on paper towels.

10. Serve as is, with a sprinking of parmesan or pecorino cheese, OR, transfer the eggplant meatballs to a pot with simmering tomato sauce, and serve over pasta.