Eggplant Pasta with Meatballs
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Love from Munchkin Time Blog joined us in the Vitamix Test Kitchen to cook us this at the Everything Food Conference.
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- Recipe Card
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1 eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 pound Organic Ground Beef
- 2 teaspoon steak rub of choice
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced, divided
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 12 ounces linguine pasta
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
- 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon butter
- grated parmesan cheese, for serving
- Fresh basil leaves, for serving
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl toss eggplant cubes with avocado or olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 min, until browned.
Step 2
Preheat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Drizzle in some oil, then add onion & 2 cloves of garlic and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. In a mixing bowl add ground beef, bread crumbs, about 3/4 cup of milk, cooked onion mixture and steak rub. Mix well, then form into meatballs the size of a golf ball.
Step 3
Preheat the same skillet on a medium/high meat and add a drizzle of oil. Add meatballs and cook until browned on both sides. In the meantime, blend the tomatoes with the jalapeño in the Vitamix until smooth.
Step 4
Transfer the tomato sauce to skillet with the meatballs and add 1 clove of garlic and a pinch of red crushed pepper. Cook until sauce reduces by half, about 20 minutes. Add butter & season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5
While the sauce is cooking, cook pasta according to directions on the box. Serve pasta with meatballs, eggplant and Parmesan cheese. Garnish with basil leave. Enjoy!