Eggplant Balls in Spicy Marinara sauce

This is a really good vegetarian entree. My Sasquatches (I mean kids) even like it. Actually they love this dish. I have been making this for them since they were little Sasquatches. I was vegetarian when my last son was born. He didn't have meat for the first two years of his life. I don't know if I feel sorry for him or not. It took him years to really like meat. He still loves fruit better than just about anything. I serve these in a spicy marinara sauce. It is the only time I make this particular marinara sauce. I don't know why. It just became the sauce I make with these eggplant balls and I never make it for anything else. I dunno. I will list the marinara sauce after the eggplant ball recipe below. Comes from a very old vegetarian cookbook I love called "Claire's Corner Copia"
Enjoy!

Here's what I do:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced (I use more almost always)
2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
2 Tbl. water
2 Cups italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 Cup minced flat leaf parsley (use whatever parsley you have)
2 Tbl. minced fresh basil
4 oz. shredded mozzarella (optional)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 flour or more for rolling the eggplant balls in
oil/butter for frying (I use olive oil and butter. You can use whatever oil you want with or without the butter.)
Heat the oil in a pan over med-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for a second and then add the eggplant and stir to coat. Turn pan down to med and  add the water and cover and cook about 20 minutes or so, stirring often till eggplant is very soft. I think I have on occasion added another tablespoon of water if need be. Remove from heat and turn into a bowl. Add the bread crumbs, parsley, basil, mozzarella, eggs, parm and salt and pepper. Stir to mix well. Taste for seasoning. let mixture stand for 15 minutes. Stir again well. You want to break down the eggplant some without turning the whole thing into liquid mush. You can add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is to thin. You should be able to scoop it up and roll into into a ball.
Form into balls and roll in flour and set on a baking sheet. To fry them heat oil and butter in skillet over medium heat and when oil is hot add balls to skillet leaving a little space in between them. Fry on each side till golden brown and remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain. You can bake them if you prefer. 350 degrees for 30 minutes turning halfway through.

Spicy Marinara Sauce

1/2 Cup olive oil
1 small onion chopped
6 cloves garlic minced (I always use more. We love garlic.)
2 (28oz.) cans good italian tomatoes. If they aren't already crushed then crush them before putting them into the pan. (I like the fire roasted myself.)
1/2 Cup fine chop fresh basil
1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes (I add enough as it is cooking till the sauce has some spicy heat.)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in pan and add onion. Fry for a couple minutes and then add the garlic. Stir constantly till garlic softens a bit (don't let garlic burn as it gets bitter.) Add the red pepper flakes and stir and then the tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the basil, salt and pepper. Simmer another 10 minutes. Sauce should start to thicken. Taste for seasoning.
Serve over pasta and or eggplant balls.