Little Lamb Meatballs in a Spicy Eggplant Tomato Sauce

Try this delicious lamb meatball with spicy and sweet tomato sauce recipe for a flavorful dish that takes the traditional lamb and tomato sauce combination to a completely new level.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins
• Calories: 420 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• cayenne pepper to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 eggplant, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• ⅓ cup finely minced onion
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• ¼ cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 ½ tablespoons Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup finely minced onion

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Step 2

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Step 3

Combine eggplant, olive oil, salt and black pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until eggplant begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Mix in minced onion and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until onion softens, 4 minutes.

Step 5

Stir in chicken broth and marinara sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce mixture has reduced by half, about 30 minutes.

Step 6

Whisk bread crumbs, egg, and Greek yogurt in a large bowl until the bread crumbs absorb all the liquid, about 3 minutes.

Step 7

Mix onions, garlic, Kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander into the bread crumb mixture.

Step 8

Crumble lamb into bread crumb spice mixture; stir in cayenne pepper.

Step 9

Form lamb mixture into small meatballs and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Place baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake until browned, but still pink inside, about 10 minutes.

Step 10

Remove meatballs from the oven and stir into simmering sauce. Simmer over low heat until sauce begins to thicken, 30 to 45 minutes.

Step 11

Garnish with chopped fresh mint.