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Eggplant Parmesan With Tiny Veal Meatballs

140 min
Medium
Back to recipes

Eggplant Parmesan With Tiny Veal Meatballs

140 min
Medium
Ingredients (6 to 8 people)
  • Grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup
  • Medium eggplants 5 sliced lengthwise
  • Olive oil 1/3 cup
  • Sliced mozzarella cheese 10 ounces
Meatballs
  • Crust less bread, diced 3 slices
  • Finely chopped parsley ¼ cup
  • Grated Parmesan cheese 1 ¾ cups to assemble
  • Ground veal 1 Pound
  • Large Egg 1
  • Milk ½ cup
  • Salt & pepper To taste
Sauce
  • Chopped fresh basil 4 tablespoons
  • Dried oregano 1 teaspoon
  • Finely chopped onions ½ cup
  • Garlic cloves, minced 2
  • Olive oil 3 tablespoons for the sauce
  • Salt & pepper To taste
Preparation

Preheat broiler to high and lay the eggplant slices side by side on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush the top of the eggplant slices with olive oil, and then broil until lightly browned. Turn, and brown the other side. Continue to cook all of the eggplant slices in this method then set aside.

To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat then cook the onion until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute or two. Add the Pomì organic strained tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

For the meatballs, place the bread and milk in a bowl and let sit a few minutes to soak. In a separate bowl place the veal, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Squeeze the bread dry and add it to the meat mixture. Mix well with your hands, and then take small pieces of the meat mixture and roll into grape sized balls.

Drop the meatballs into the simmering tomato sauce. Once all of the meatballs are in the sauce, cover, and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread a few spoonfuls of sauce over the bottom of an oven-proof ceramic dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top, top with some Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella. Spoon a few meatballs on top. Continue to layer in this manner, finishing with a layer of eggplant topped with just tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe by Deborah Mele of ItalianFoodForever.com

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