These meatball subs are made with soft & juicy Italian meatballs & wrapped in an easy marinara sauce. Meatball sandwiches don't come more delicious than this!
2thin slices ofWhite Bread,diced into small cubes (around 1 cups worth)
1/2 cup / 40gfreshly gratedParmesan
1/4 cup / 60mlMilk
1/4 cupfinely dicedFresh Parsley
1small/mediumWhite Onion,peeled & grated on a box grater
2cloves ofGarlic,peeled & grated/minced
1Egg
1tspWorcestershire Sauce
3/4tspSalt
1/2tspDried Oregano
1/4tspBlack Pepper
Oil Spray,as needed
Marinara Sauce
3 cups / 750gTomato Passata(pureed/strained tomatoes in US)
1mediumWhite Onion,finely diced
2cloves ofGarlic,finely diced
2tbsp finely dicedFresh Basil
1tspDried Oregano
1/2tspSugar,or to taste
1/4 - 1/2tspChilli Flakes,or to taste
1/4tspSalt & Black Pepper,or to taste
Olive Oil,as needed
Subs
5x 6"Baguettes/Sub Rollssliced vertically down the centre
2x 4.5oz/125gballs ofFresh Mozzarella,sliced into thin rounds
1/2 cup / 40gfreshly gratedParmesan,or as needed
smallFresh Basil Leaves,to serve (optional)
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl combine cubed bread with grated onion/garlic, Worcestershire sauce & milk. Mash with a fork for a couple of minutes until the bread absorbs the moisture. Add in egg, parmesan, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir/mash again with a fork until evenly combined.
Add in pork and beef and use your hand to combine. Mix until the bread mix has evenly incorporated with the meat. Try not to overwork the meat or the meatballs will come out dry. Use a 1 tbsp measuring spoon to scoop out chunks of meat and spread out on a baking tray. Once you've scooped out all the meat, roll each chunks into balls.
Spray with oil then pop under the grill on high heat and broil until browned all over, shaking/turning a couple of times during.
Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat add a drizzle of oil along with your diced onion. Fry until the onion starts to turn golden, then add in garlic and fry for 1-2mins longer. Pour in tomato passata then add basil, oregano, chilli flakes, salt, sugar and pepper. Give it a good stir then turn down the heat to a simmer.
Add in the meatballs and some of the char/juices along with them (for extra flavour). Coat the meatballs then gently simmer for around 20mins until the sauce gets nice and thick. This is not only important to reduce the sauce but also to marry the flavours together.
Spread a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce down the centre of your subs, then add in 4 meatballs per sub. Top with mozzarella then sprinkle with parmesan. Pop on a baking tray and grill/broil on medium heat until the cheese goes gooey and golden.
Sprinkle over torn basil or some small basil leaves (optional) then serve up and enjoy!
Quick Demo
Notes
a) Can I use all beef for the meatballs? - I find half beef half pork makes the perfect meatball. The pork adds a nice richness to the flavour. You could use all beef though if that's what you have. In all cases though it's really important to use high fat meat so the meatballs come out extra juicy!b) Can I fry or bake the meatballs? - I discuss this in the blog post in a bit more detail, but I find cooking the meatballs under the grill ensures brown properly whilst ensuring they keep shape. You can bake (they won't caramelize quite as well). Only fry if you've got a good non-stick pan and your meatballs are keeping shape fairly well before you fry them. In all cases just focus on the browning, they'll finish cooking in the sauce.c) Can I make the meatballs ahead of time? - Yep! You can roll them and tightly cover in the fridge overnight (easiest in a casserole dish) or freeze for a month (easiest to freeze spaced out on a tray then transfer to ziplock bags). Thaw then cook as stated. You can fully make them and tightly store in fridge for 3-4days then pop straight in the sauce to reheat. Or freeze them, thaw in the fridge and cook straight in the sauce until piping hot through the centre. If you're cooking them I recommend cooking the meatballs right through, just so you're not storing meatballs that are half raw/half cooked. d) Can I make the sauce ahead of time? - Yep! Tightly cover in the fridge for 3-4days or freeze for a month. Thaw in fridge before cooking if freezing.e) Calories - per sub assuming 15% fat pork and beef and 1/2 tbsp oil for frying:
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.