Add a healthy spin on your favorite Italian dish by using hearty eggplant in lieu of meat to make these delicious, flavorful “meatballs”. If you are not regularly eating eggplants, you should consider doing so. This is one vegetable that has no shortage of health benefits and this eggplant meatball recipe is the perfect place to start!
Eggplants contain many different vitamins such as Vitamin C, Folate, B Vitamins, and Vitamin A, to name a few. These vitamins are important because they help improve your body’s overall health, boost your immune system, and can even help improve resistance to various diseases. You’ll also find Phosphorous, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium in eggplants. These minerals are known to help prevent arthritis, osteoporosis, and heart disease. Last but not least, eggplants are an excellent source of Dietary Fiber. Consuming foods with Dietary Fibers are good for you because they help you feel full after a meal, keep your digestive system working properly and protect against colon cancer. At 35 calories per cup, eggplants are one veggie you can’t help but love!
True story- when I first made these my husband walking into the kitchen and asked, “why are you making meatballs”. For those of you who are not aware, I do not eat meat. That being said, I do eat fish (there’s no way I could stay away from sushi) and I do cook meat, but only for others to enjoy.
When I told him what I was making, eggplant meatballs over my favorite zucchini noodle recipe, he seemed a little confused. He was taken aback by the fact that I was using eggplants to make “meatballs” and remained skeptical, wondering how a veggie-on-veggie dish was going to fill him up.
I have to be honest, it did take a little bit of convincing him that “no, these will not taste like rubber”, “yes, you will like them”, and “no, I’m not making you eat tofu”. Whether he believed me or not, I guess I will never know. He was a trooper and helped me roll the steamy eggplant concoction sitting in my food processor into the delicious “meatballs” pictured below.
Once your “meatballs” are arranged on a cookie sheet, pop them in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes. As these cook, they should change color and turn a darker shade of brown and the outer shell should become firm, but not burned. If you can stick a fork through them while they’re still in the oven, let them cook a little bit longer. You should expect the very bottom of your meatballs to be darker and crispier than the tops. Don’t worry- this is perfectly normal! The non-stick cooking spray you sprayed on your foil lined cookie sheet is the culprit.
Personally, I love serving these over zucchini noodles. My Favorite Zucchini Noodle Recipe is perfectly timed with how long it will take these “meatballs” to cook in the oven. Start cooking your zoodles immediately after you put your “meatballs” in the oven to avoid waiting around or snacking before dinner. This recipe is posted on my blog.
If you want to mix it up a little and incorporate these “meatballs” into other dishes throughout the week, I also enjoy eating these with whole wheat pasta (any kind) or over a dark leafy green salad with fresh tomatoes and quinoa. I’d love to hear what types of dishes you paired your eggplant meatballs with!
- • 1 TBSP EVOO, divided
- • 1/4 cup water
- • 1 (1 pound) eggplant, unpeeled cut into 1 inch cubes
- • 1 tsp salt
- • 1 tsp black pepper
- • 1 TBS paprika
- • 1 medium red onion, diced
- • 2 cloves of minced garlic
- • 1 can of cannellini beans, drained
- • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- • 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
- • 1 tsp red chili flakes
- • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with foil, spray with non-cook spray and set aside.
- • Cut eggplant into one inch cubes, pressing out excess water with a paper towel.
- • Heat 1/2 TBS EVOO in a non-stick skillet on medium heat. When heated, add eggplant cubes and 1/4 cup of water. Immediately season eggplant cubes with salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir ingredients occasionally for 10 - 15 minutes, until eggplant is tender. (You should be able to cut an eggplant cube in half with your spatula) When ready, transfer cooked eggplant cubes to a food processor.
- • Add the remaining 1/2 TBS EVOO to the skillet followed by diced onions and minced garlic. Cook until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes, then combine with cooked eggplant cubes in food processor.
- • Add drained cannellini beans and chopped parsley to food processor and pulse until contents are well combined and chopped. Stir contents with a spatula between pulses as needed. Ingredients should be chopped, not pureed.
- • Transfer ingredients from the food processor into a bowl. Stir in panko breadcrumbs and red chili flakes until well combined. Add salt for taste.
- • Roll into golf-ball sized meatballs and distribute evenly on foil lined cookie sheet.
- • Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until meatballs are browned and firm when poking with a fork.
- • Remove from oven, serve, and enjoy!
- • Serve with whole wheat pasta or zucchini noodles.
- • Drizzle fresh marinara or basil pesto on top for delicious results.
- • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
