How to Make the Eggplant Meatballs that Went Viral

I may be a bit late to the eggplant meatballs game, but I’m so happy that I was able to create a delicious meat-less polpette recipe using roasted eggplant to ensure maximum flavor and texture development.

This recipe recently went viral on my Instagram account, spaghettiroots_nyc, coming in with over 1 million views. [You can read more about me and my account in this recent interview with Appetito.] I never anticipated so much interest in a very simple recipe. The funny thing is that I just threw it together because I had some eggplants sitting in my fridge and I had been wanting to make something like this for a while, though I imagine timing had a bit to do with it, as lots of people are looking for meatless recipe options to start the new year.

The seasoned breadcrumbs and lots of Pecorino cheese that gets added to this eggplant meatballs recipe lend so much flavor to create the perfect vegetarian option. Serve them as an appetizer or alongside a pasta dish. They are super delicious, and I promise you will not miss the meat!

Eggplant Meatballs

Recipe by Joanna Moeller

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium 3 eggplant (skin removed in stripes), cubed

• 2 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup 1/2 chopped Italian parsley

• 1-1/4 cup 1-1/4 grated Pecorino cheese + more for topping

• 1 cup 1 seasoned Italian breadcrumbs + more for shaping

• 1/2 cup 1/2 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Torn basil for garnish

• Salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place eggplant cubes on a baking sheet, adding lots of extra virgin olive oil and a healthy sprinkling of sea salt. 
• Roast until eggplant is softened and nicely browned (around 20 minutes).
• Let cool.
• Add eggplant a blender and pulse a few times until eggplant is roughly puréed.
• Add the puréed eggplant, eggs, parsley, Pecorino and breadcrumbs to a mixing bowl.
• Season to taste with salt & pepper.
• Mix ingredients together (adding more breadcrumbs if necessary for adhesion) into balls.
• Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the eggplant balls until golden brown.
• Combine with marinara sauce, top with more Pecorino and torn basil.
• Serve!

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