Baked Aubergine Meatballs
Recipe
Serves: 4 people | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 45 minutes
British | Main | Vegetarian | MOB
Ingredients
- 1 Onion
- 2 Large Aubergines
- 4 Cloves of Garlic
- Handful of Parsley
- 175g Soft White Breadcrumbs
- 200g Tinned Green Lentils
- 30g Parmesan
- ½ tsp Chilli Flakes
- 800g Tinned Chopped tomatoes
- 150g Mozzarella
- Handful of Basil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil
Method
- Heat your oven to 200°C.
- Finely slice your onion. Dice your aubergines into small chunks. Finely chop your garlic and parsley.
- Heat a saute pan over a medium heat with a little olive oil. Add your sliced onion and cook until softened, about 10 mins.
- Drain your lentils, then tip them onto a baking tray. Bake for 15 mins until they have dried out slightly.
- Add your aubergine chunks to the same pan as your onions with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Fry for 5 mins until totally soft and tender. Tip in half of your garlic and cook for another 2 mins.
- Allow your aubergines and lentils to cool slightly, then tip them into your food processor, along with your onions, 150g breadcrumbs, parmesan, all but a tbsp of your parsley and salt and pepper. Whizz to a paste.
- Roll your mixture into 12 equal sized balls.
- Place them on a parchment lined baking tray, then drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Bake for 40 mins until crisp.
- Meanwhile, make your tomato sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
- Add your remaining garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 1 min. Tip in your tinned tomatoes and add a sprig of basil. Simmer for 25 mins until reduced.
- Whizz up with a stick blender if you like it smoother, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Heat your grill to high.
- Mix your remaining 25g of breadcrumbs with chopped parsley.
- Pour your sauce into a baking dish. Add your meatballs, then tears over your mozzarella. Grate over a little parmesan and sprinkle on your breadcrumbs, then grill for 5 mins.
- Top with basil leaves, then serve.