Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Grease a large baking tray and set aside.
Add oil to a large non-stick pan and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the eggplant and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the water and cook for another 10 minutes or until the eggplant has softened.
Transfer the eggplant mixture to a food processor, along with the garlic, salt, pepper, and basil, and process until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and egg and mix well. If the mixture is too wet, add more bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
Using your hands, shape the mixture into meatballs. Place the meatballs on the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.
In a non-stick skillet, add the tomato pasta sauce. Add the meatballs to it but do not mix. Once the sauce is heated, remove from the heat and drop a little sauce on each one, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and some finely chopped basil.
Notes
TO STORE: Once they’re cooked in the sauce and slightly cooled, you can store the leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
TO FREEZE: Eggplant meatballs can be frozen without the tomato sauce for up to 2 months. Thaw them on the kitchen counter before reheating
