An old-school Italian dish from Calabria with the perfect flavor and texture to serve with sauce for an appetizer. These crispy, delicious bites are Polpette di Melanzane or eggplant meatballs.
If you love these savory and salty appetizers, try Fried Cauliflower Cakes or Easy Italian Fried Green Tomatoes.
A Quick Look at The Recipe
- ✅Recipe Name: Polpette di Melanzane (aka Eggplant Meatballs)
- ⏲️Ready in: 45 minutes
- 👪Makes: 20 meatballs
- 📋Main ingredients: Eggplant, breadcrumbs, pecorino.
- ⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: Eggplant meatballs are the best appetizer to serve midday or early evening with some marinara sauce or just a bit of salt!
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What are Polpette di Melanzane?
Polpette di Melanzane are eggplant meatballs. They're boiled eggplants combined with Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, pecorino, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg, then fried to crispy perfection. They are the perfect appetizer or veggie side dish, well-known in Calabria and Sicily, each having its own variations.
Why This Recipe
Polpette di Melanzane are perfect to put out as an appetizer when guests are over. They're a delicious little snack that can be dipped in your favorite sauces like Spicy Vodka Sauce or Marinara Sauce.
These eggplant meatballs can be found as a street food in Calabria and is a recipe truly born in Italy, not just Italian American. So, I love it when I get to make these for people who have never had them. They are always surprised at how delicious they are.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Eggplant- I use Sicilian eggplant for eggplant meatballs because they are more tender and sweet than regular eggplant. You'll find that the texture inside the meatballs is so much creamier and less bitter with Sicilian eggplant.
- Pecorino- Pecorino is traditionally used in eggplant meatballs because they are from the south of Italy. You can substitute Grana Padano or Parmigiano.
- Breadcrumbs- Use a finely blended breadcrumb mixture. Panko won't cut it here. The fine breadcrumbs will better coat the outside of the meatball and result in a more even fry.
*Please see the recipe card for more information on the ingredients.
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How to Make Polpette di Melanzane (Eggplant Meatballs)
Step 1: Chop the eggplant into 1-inch pieces. Leave the skin on.
Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously and boil the eggplant for 8-10 minutes until soft. Strain the eggplant and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Place the eggplant on a paper towel-lined surface or a cheesecloth. Gently press the eggplant with another paper towel or cheesecloth to squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop the eggplant finely by hand.
Step 4: Add it to a large bowl with 1 cup of breadcrumbs, parsley, pecorino, salt, pepper, and garlic. Use a fork to combine everything until just combined.
Step 5: Add the egg and mix until well combined.
Step 6: Roll the mixture out into 1-inch balls. Then dredge the balls in the remaining ¼ cup of breadcrumbs.
Step 7: Place a pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Don't skimp out on the olive oil, or the eggplant will stick. Place the balls into the oil and fry on all sides until golden brown. About 3-5 minutes.
Step 8: Cool for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite marinara or vodka sauce.
Serve Polpette di Melanzane as an appetizer with a homemade Spicy Marinara Sauce or Creamy Red Pepper Sauce! It's great to have something small and bite-sized like this, along with your larger appetizers like Italian Sausage Bread.
Pro-Tips
- Press the eggplants gently with a cheese cloth or paper towel after boiling. Don't overdo it and destroy them. Make sure to take the time to remove as much water as possible to get the most even crispy texture.
- Mix all the ingredients without the egg first. Then add the egg so it can evenly disperse throughout the mixture. If you add the egg too early, it will just soak into the breadcrumbs.
- Find a leftover sauce to serve these with. They really go well with any red sauces, but I also like them with a Pistachio Pesto.
- After you fry the eggplant meatballs, sprinkle them with a bit of salt. This will give them that complete, restaurant-style finish.
- Eat these fresh. They're fine if you warm them up in the oven, but they are definitely best served fresh, because they tend to get a bit mushy on the second day.
FAQs about Polpette di Melanzane
Once they are cooked, you can't freeze them. You can freeze them after making and breading them, though. Once you've breaded all the eggplant meatballs, place them on a parchment-lined tray and put them in the freezer for 2 hours. Then transfer them into a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 6 months. When defrosting, separate them while they're defrosting so they don't stick together.
You can substitute regular eggplant or graffiti eggplant. Just make sure to boil until soft, which may take a little longer with the larger eggplants.
They're featured all over Italy in places like Calabria, Sicily, Umbria, and Tuscany. Depending on where you go, they may be served a little differently. In Sicily, you're more likely to find some kind of toasted nuts or dried fruit in them.
More Eggplant Dishes
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
Polpette di Melanzane (Eggplant Meatballs)
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 large pot
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb sicilian eggplants
- 1.25 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ cup pecorino
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Chop the eggplant into 1-inch pieces. Leave the skin on. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously and boil the eggplant for 8-10 minutes until soft. Strain the eggplant and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Place the eggplant on a paper towel-lined surface or a cheesecloth. Gently press the eggplant with another paper towel or cheesecloth to squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Chop the eggplant finely by hand. Add it to a large bowl with 1 cup of breadcrumbs, parsley, pecorino, salt, pepper, and garlic. Use a fork to combine everything until just combined. Add the egg and mix until well combined.
- Roll the mixture out into 1-inch balls. Then dredge the balls in the remaining ¼ cup of bread crumbs.
- Place a pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Don't skimp out on the olive oil, or the eggplant will stick. Place the balls into the oil and fry on all sides until golden brown. About 3-5 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite marinara or vodka sauce.
Video
Notes
- Press the eggplants gently with a cheese cloth or paper towel after boiling. Don't overdo it and destroy them. Make sure to take the time to remove as much water as possible to get the most even crispy texture.
- Mix all the ingredients without the egg first. Then add the egg so it can evenly disperse throughout the mixture. If you add the egg too early, it will just soak into the breadcrumbs.
- Find a leftover sauce to serve these with. They really go well with any red sauces, but I also like them with a Pistachio Pesto.
- After you fry the eggplant meatballs, sprinkle them with a bit of salt. This will give them that complete, restaurant-style finish.
- Eat these fresh. They're fine if you warm them up in the oven, but they are definitely best served fresh, because they tend to get a bit mushy on the second day.
Vincent DelGiudice says
My kids LOVE these eggplant meatballs. They're crispy and so tasty for everyone. Let me know what you think of these and leave a comment!