Vegetarian Eggplant and White Bean “Meatballs”

Ingredients

• 1 lb eggplant (About 3 small eggplants; cut into cubes for roasting)
• 1 cup white beans (Drained; cannellini beans are used in the video)
• 0.5 cup parsley (Chopped, plus additional parsley for topping if desired)
• 1 cup pecorino Romano cheese (Grated)
• 3 cloves garlic (Mashed or minced)
• 0.25 cup olive oil (Used with the garlic; the description reads “1/4 of olive oil”)
• 0.5 tsp Calabrian chili powder (Or substitute red pepper flakes)
• 1 tsp thyme (Fresh or dried)
• 1 tsp rosemary (Fresh or dried)
• salt and pepper (To taste)
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (Approximately; used to coat the balls. The transcript also mentions adding about 1 cup to the mixture, which differs from the written description)
• fresh sauce (Used to line the casserole dish and combine with the pasta; quantity not stated)
• dairy-free mozzarella (The video shows Treeline dairy-free mozzarella; quantity not stated)
• protein rigatoni (Used for serving with the sauce; quantity not stated)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400°F (about 205°C). Cut the eggplant into cubes, spread it for roasting, and roast for about 15 minutes, until tender.

2. 2

   Place the roasted eggplant and drained white beans in a food processor. Pulse until they are well combined, taking care not to over-process into a completely smooth purée.

3. 3

   Mash or mince the garlic and combine it with the olive oil. The video describes letting the garlic marinate in the oil before adding it.

4. 4

   Transfer the eggplant-and-bean mixture to a bowl. Add the parsley, grated pecorino Romano, garlic and olive oil, Calabrian chili powder, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.

5. 5

   Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed and the mixture holds together. The transcript describes the consistency as suitable for scooping and rolling into balls.

6. 6

   Shape the mixture into balls, using a measuring cup or scoop if helpful. Roll each ball in breadcrumbs until coated on all sides.

7. 7

   Arrange the coated balls on a baking surface and bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes. Turn them over and bake for about 15 minutes more, until baked through and browned on the outside.

8. 8

   Ladle the fresh sauce into a casserole dish. Nestle the baked eggplant balls into the sauce.

9. 9

   Top the eggplant balls with dairy-free mozzarella and return the casserole dish to the oven until the cheese melts. The transcript does not specify an additional baking time.

10. 10

    Cook the protein rigatoni according to its package directions. Combine the pasta with the sauce.

11. 11

    Serve the pasta and sauce with several eggplant balls and melted cheese. Finish with parsley.

Notes

The written description gives the complete measured eggplant-ball recipe and says to serve it over pasta or as a meatball sandwich. The transcript additionally shows fresh sauce, pasta, and dairy-free mozzarella, but does not provide quantities or the melting time. It also mentions adding about 1 cup of breadcrumbs to the mixture, while the written recipe specifies approximately 2 cups for rolling the balls; follow the written description or adjust the breadcrumbs according to the mixture’s consistency.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegetarian
• Italian
• baked
• plant-based
• eggplant
• white beans
• pasta