Eggplant Balls

This recipe comes from chichoskitchen.blogspot.com I haven't tried it Eggplant balls or Polpette di melanzane in italian, is a great appetizer that I learned from my Italian friend. The first time I tasted it I did not guess that it was eggplant. The tender pulp of the eggplant is used to make tasty croquettes. These croquettes are great as a side dish, or on an antipasto platter. After making them, I have found that I enjoy vegetarian balls even more than meat balls. I sometimes serve them with a Lebanese mezze but you can get fancy and make your own marinara and serve them over spaghetti. In both ways, they're simply delicious.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 24 balls

Ingredients

• 3  large eggplants, -
• 3⁄4 cup  freshly grated parmesan cheese, -
• 2  tablespoons  chopped parsley, -
• 1  tablespoon  chopped basil, -
• 1  cup  dry breadcrumbs, -
• 1  egg, -
• 2  garlic cloves, crushed -
• 1  onion, finely diced -
•  olive oil, -
• 1  teaspoon salt, -
•  pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and lightly grease 2 oven trays. Clean the eggplants, peel them and slice them into disks. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and bake them for 45 min until golden. Let them cool. In a food processor, finely chop the eggplant.
2. In a bowl mix the onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, egg and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped eggplants.
3. Wet your hands with a little water and shape the eggplant mixture into balls. Place them on a non-stick oven tray and bake them for 25 minutes until deep golden brown and slightly crusty. Do not overbake or they will be too dry. Remove tray from oven and cover with foil to let the meatballs steam until ready to serve.