Which came first, the meatball or the breadcrumbs? So, which came first, the bread or the chicken?
Philosophical doubts aside, today we're here to talk about your next recipe for when you invite your friends over for dinner. The same ones who will return your call with a less than enthusiastic " Yummy! " We're talking about Eggplant and zucchini meatball recipe . Roll up your sleeves, and we're off!
Basically, the process is simple: zucchini and eggplant are a hearty and tasty (and also vegetarian) addition to the otherwise boring egg, bread, and cheese mixture. You'll need: your favorite Mamù pan to review them and also… well, no spoilers!
Difficulty: few
Cost: high if you get ripped off at the market, otherwise low
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for four people:
- 350 g courgettes
- 350 g aubergines
- 1 egg
- breadcrumbs to taste
- 5 g Grana Padano cheese
- 5 g pecorino cheese
- 1 clove of garlic
- qb extra virgin olive oil and sunflower seed oil
- basil and salt to taste
- breadcrumbs to taste
- 50g smoked scamorza cheese
Eggplant and zucchini meatballs recipe
- In the Mamù pan put the garlic clove with a little oil
- Cut the courgettes and aubergines.
- Once the oil is hot, add them to the pan with some basil.
- Leave to cook for about fifteen minutes on low heat.
- Once cooked, add salt and decide when they're ready to remove from the pan. Remember that the vegetables shouldn't be mushy, but tender. You can check for doneness by pressing them with a fork.
- When everything is ready, leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, you can prepare the meatball mixture: crumble the breadcrumbs, add the cheese, egg, and basil. Then, add the zucchini and eggplant.
- Use your hands to knead the dough. Don't forget to add a little breadcrumbs to the mixture.
- Once you've obtained a well-formed dough, it's time to shape the meatballs. Start from the center: add a piece of scamorza and close the dough all around, rolling it between your hands.
- Dip them in breadcrumbs and continue shaping them.
- Separately, in a saucepan with high edges, a tall pan or in one Fryer with basket, heat the oil to an optimal temperature for frying.
- Once the temperature is right, you can add a couple of meatballs at a time, taking care to turn them often.
- After almost two minutes of cooking, your first meatball is ready, especially if it's a nice golden brown.
If you are not a fan of fried meatballs and you like them baked, no problem: you will need our baking tray Lined with parchment paper. Fill it with meatballs, remember to drizzle a little oil on top, and then bake. 180°C (350°F) for about half an hour should be fine. You can also play around with your oven settings to add the crispy breading in the last few minutes. Now all that's left to do is pleasantly surprise ( hopefully ) your friends or partner with this delicious second course.
If you want to try other recipes with zucchini, you can take a look to our article full of suggestions . Enjoy your meal!
