I first got inspired to make these after enjoying the excellent eggplant polpette at Bar Bambino in San Francisco’s Mission District. I wasn’t able to find a recipe, so I just made up my own. This is one of my very favorite “go-to” recipes for parties and potlucks.
Because I often don’t have a lot of time to cook in one sitting, I purge/ roast the eggplant one day and assemble and bake the polpette on another day. These freeze well, so I always make a big batch so that I have some to stash away in the freezer for a quick meal or snack at the ready. I’ve found that kids (well mine at least) will generally eat anything in the shape of a meatball.
Ingredients (makes about 3 dozen small polpette)
- 3 Medium Italian Eggplant
- 1/2 Loaf of Good Sourdough Bread (or your favorite rustic loaf)
- 2 Cups Milk
- 1 Carrot, 1 Zucchini — grated finely and squeezed dry
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup Grated Parmegiano Reggiano
- 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Parsley
- 1 Cup Bread Crumbs*
- Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Pepper
Click on the picture above for more detailed instructions, but here is the method in a nutshell.
- Slice and purge the eggplant by sprinkling the cut sides with kosher salt and letting the juices drain out.
- Pat dry and roast the eggplant slices on a lightly oiled cookie sheet until tender. Chop and set aside.
- Trim the crust from the bread, slice and soak in milk. Squeeze out & discard the liquid and crumble into a bowl. Add the chopped eggplant, egg, carrot, zucchini, parmegiano reggiano, parsley, and a dash of salt and peper. Mix well.
- Form into balls. Roll each ball in breadcrumbs. Bake on a lightly oiled cookie sheet at 375 until crispy and golden.
Serve as is, simmered in tomato sauce, on a sandwich — or any other way you like to eat meatballs!
—–
* Homemade Bread Crumbs *
It’s easy to make your own bread crumbs and they are soooooooo much better than store bought. Just toss your stale bread, crusts in a freezer-safe container. When you have saved up a bunch, lay your bread trimmings on an ungreased cookie sheet. Toast at 350 until dry and crisped (15-20 minutes). You can flavor them up if you like with herb and spices of your choice. I often add a handful of sesame seeds or golden flax seed. Process everything in a food processor until you have the texture of coarse sand. If you find your bread crumbs are not dry and sandy, return them to the baking sheet and toast them a bit more. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
These do indeed sound delicious. I could eat a lot of them. But it’s really the art in this post that gets me. When are you going to start making t-shirts with smiley little food faces? 🙂
The art is beyond AMAZING. I am super impressed. Plus, I have tasted these and they are awesome!
This really sound like a yummy party food. I love your illustration. It’s so beautiful.
I made a variation of these too! They are excellent, aren’t they? I like your variation of adding zucchini and carrots too. Great idea.
Oh Stacie, I love your illustrations, they are adorable. And what a great recipe… loaded with good for you yummy veggies.
Your artwork is adorable and the polpette sounds really delicious!
Wow that is very simple yet flavorful recipe. My kind of recipe. Not huge eggplant fan but i will try this recipe.