Eggplant Meatballs Polpette Di Melanzane Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Grease foil with olive oil.
• Arrange eggplant halves cut-sides-down onto the prepared baking sheet. Pierce skin of eggplant several times with a fork.
• Roast eggplant in preheated oven until soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.
• Scoop the flesh from the eggplant halves onto a cutting board; chop into small chunks and put into a large mixing bowl.
• Mix ground turkey, carrot, onion, Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper with the eggplant chunks until ingredients are somewhat evenly mixed together. Gently mix almond flour into the eggplant mixture; scoop with an ice cream scoop onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake meatballs in oven for 15 minutes, flip the meatballs, and bake until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more.
• While the meatballs bake, heat marinara sauce in saucepan over medium-low heat until hot; add baked meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat.

Steps:

• 1. Peel the eggplant, slice into ½- inch rounds and then cut into ½- inch cubes. Place the cubed eggplant in a large 6- quart pot. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and stir to coat all the eggplant. Pour in enough water to cover the eggplant by 2 inches. Let the eggplant soak in the salted water for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 2. After the eggplant has soaked, place the pot over medium- high heat and bring to a boil. Boil the eggplant until thoroughly cooked, 10 minutes. Drain into a colander and remove the excess liquid by placing a plate on top of the eggplant and adding a weight to the plate. Let the eggplant drain until cool. 3. Meanwhile, place the bread slices in a bowl and cover with water. Place a teacup saucer on the bread slices to help keep the bread under water. Set aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes. 4. Place the drained and cooled eggplant in a large bowl. Remove the soaking bread from the water and, using your hands, squeeze out the excess water. Tear the bread into small pieces and add to the eggplant, along with the Parmigiano- Reggiano, garlic, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper. If the mixture is too soft, add a tablespoon of dry bread crumbs. Form the eggplant mixture between the palms of your hands into 1- inch- diameter balls, and roll each "meatball" ( polpetta ) in the bread crumbs to coat. 5. Heat half an inch of oil in a heavy medium- size frying pan over medium heat and, in batches, brown the polpette on all sides, about 4 to 6 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain. While still warm, sprinkle with salt to taste. 6. May be served alone as an antipasto or covered with a simple sauce ( I love using a tomato cream sauce) and served as a second course.