Eggplant & Porcini 'Meatballs' in Tomato Sauce

Serving size:4
Prep Time:
Total Time:
Eggplant & Porcini 'Meatballs' in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

  • salt
  • crusty bread, for serving
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • all-purpose flour, for coating
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 3 cup fresh bread crumbs (from 6 ounces crustless country bread)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large eggplant (1 1/4 pounds)
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil, plus leaves for garnish
  • 2 28-ounce cans imported whole Italian tomatoes, seeded and pureed with their juices
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • boiling water
  • 1 oz dried porcini mushroom

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Prick the eggplant all over with a fork and set it on a baking sheet. Roast in the center of the oven for 1 hour, until very soft and collapsed. Let cool slightly, then scrape the eggplant flesh into a large bowl and let cool completely. Discard the skin.
  2. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, cover the porcini with 1 1/2 cups of boiling water and let stand until softened, 30 minutes; drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Rinse the porcini to remove any grit. Finely chop the porcini.
  3. In an enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and half of the garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and pour in the porcini soaking liquid, stopping before reaching the grit; bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened, 1 hour. Add half of the chopped basil and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Fold the chopped porcini, bread crumbs, eggs, 2 ounces of cheese, parsley and the remaining garlic and chopped basil into the eggplant. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
  5. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Form the eggplant mixture into twenty 1 3/4-inch balls, rolling tightly. Dust the balls with flour and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  6. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. Add half of the meatballs at a time and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish the meatballs with basil leaves and serve with crusty bread and grated cheese.

Image Credit: Con Poulos
Recipe Courtesy of: Domenica Marchetti

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