Eggplant and Meatball Pasta
ingredients
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
- Meatballs
- 3 white bread slices, broken to crumbs
- 500g minced beef
- ½ an onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp dried chilli pieces
- 1 tsp dried herbs
- Salt and pepper to season
- Some olive oil to drizzle
- Pasta sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 tsp dried herbs
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- 1 bottle Cirio Arrabbiata pasta sauce
- 500g dried pasta (spaghetti or penne)
method
- 1Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (conventional oven).
- 2 To make the meatballs, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Make about 1 - ½ inch meatballs and place it on a baking sheet.
- 3Drizzle some olive oil and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.
- 4Meanwhile, chop the eggplants and fry the eggplants with olive oil until cooked through. Season with some salt when cooking.
- 5When the eggplants are done, remove them from the pan and set aside.
- 6Add the chopped onion and garlic with some extra olive oil and cook till it’s softened. Add the pasta sauce and bring it to a simmer.
- 7Add the dried herbs and half of the fresh parsley and then add the cooked eggplant and meatballs and cook for further 5 minutes on low heat.
- 8Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions or till al dente.
- 9Serve the pasta on a plate and top with the eggplant and meatball sauce. Garnish with some fresh parsley.