For ➍meatballs:
500 g ground lamb
½ tbs salt
½ tbs freshly ground black pepper
½ ts ground nutmeg
¼ ts cayenne pepper
5 tbs chopped parsley
5 tbs chopped fresh mint
½ onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs tomato concentrate
5 tbs pine nuts
sauce:
2 eggplants
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, & chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. With wet hands, shape into walnut-sized balls.
Preheat the broiler*. Pierce the eggplants with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil until tender and the skin is charred all over, turning once, about 15 m. Slit the eggplants in half lengthwise and let the steam out. Scoop out the flesh and let it drain in a colander.
Heat the olive oil in a deep, wide pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until wilted.
Stir in the tomatoes and eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cover partially. Simmer 30 m, or until the eggplants have formed a thick, rich sauce.
Serve with some firm pasta al dente. Roasted peppers and/or artichokes cooked in lemon juice**, make good side dishes.
*Use grill instead.
**Use preserved artichokes instead. Drain oil, warm them a little, and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice.
Based on a traditional Italian Jewish Passover dish, this recipe bears a strong resemblance to the Middle Eastern Buran (Baghdad meatballs) recipe.
The image background shows the ghetto in Rome.
