Eggplant meatballs alla Norma

Name: Eggplant meatballs alla Norma
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Eggplant 2.2 lbs; Stale bread 5 oz; Breadcrumbs 0.8 cup; Pecorino cheese 3 oz; Eggs 1; Whole milk for soaking the bread 1 ¼ cup; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Canned tomatoes 2.1 cups; Garlic 1 clove; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Breadcrumbs to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Salted ricotta cheese &frac13; cup; Basil to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Luisa Orizio

Eggplant Meatballs alla Norma take the four defining ingredients of pasta alla Norma — eggplant, tomato, ricotta salata, and basil — and reroute them into something entirely different: soft, savory rounds pan-cooked until golden, then finished in a fragrant tomato sauce and topped with a generous grating of ricotta salata. It's a vegetarian second course with every flavor note of alla Norma and not a strand of pasta in sight.

Roasting the eggplant first is what keeps the texture right — the pulp becomes tender and concentrated before it's folded together with eggs, pecorino, and stale bread, giving the mixture enough body to hold its shape in the pan. Ricotta salata stays on the outside, grated over the sauced meatballs rather than melted into the mix, which keeps its salty, slightly sharp edge intact — the same role it plays in the original dish.

INGREDIENTS

For about 20 meatballs: Eggplant 2.2 lbs (1 kg); Stale bread 5 oz (140 g); Breadcrumbs 0.8 cup (100 g); Pecorino cheese 3 oz (80 g); Eggs 1; Whole milk 1 ¼ cup (280 g) - for soaking the bread; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For the sauce: Canned tomatoes 2.1 cups (500 g); Garlic 1 clove; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

For breading and cooking: Breadcrumbs to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste

For serving: Salted ricotta cheese ⅓ cup (70 g); Basil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Eggplant meatballs alla Norma

To prepare eggplant meatballs alla Norma, first wash and dry the eggplants, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in a preheated conventional oven for about 60 minutes 1; the time may vary depending on their size — at the end of cooking check with a fork that they are very soft. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: in a small saucepan warm a drizzle of oil with a clove of garlic 2, then add the tomato pulp 3.

Add the basil leaves 4 and salt 5. Cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes 6.

Meanwhile, cut the stale bread into cubes 7. Place the bread cubes in a bowl, cover with milk 8 and leave to soak to soften 9.

When the eggplants are cooked, remove them from the oven and peel off the skin 10. Transfer the eggplant flesh to a colander 11 and squeeze it well with your hands to remove excess liquid 12.

Put the eggplant flesh in a bowl 13 together with the squeezed bread 14 and the grated pecorino 15.

Add the egg 16, salt and pepper, then knead with your hands 17. Finally add the breadcrumbs 18 and mix well, adjusting the amount according to the consistency of the mixture.

Shape the patties into portions of about 2 oz (50 g) each, slightly flattening them between the palms of your hands; with these quantities you will get around twenty 19. As you go, roll the meatballs in the breadcrumbs 20 and arrange them on a tray 21.

When they are all ready, grease a nonstick skillet with oil and brown over medium heat for about 4–5 minutes per side 23, until golden 34.

Toss the eggplant meatballs with the tomato sauce 25 and finish with plenty of grated ricotta salata 26 and fresh basil leaves. Your eggplant meatballs alla Norma are ready to serve 27!