It's funny where you can find inspiration. It's honestly everywhere! I was at lunch with a my friend when he got a meatball sub and after having a bite of it, I found myself craving it later that week. So here's my rendition of a meatball sub--a substantial step towards achieving the delicious (and slightly messy) crime.
NOTE: If you just want to make the tomato sauce for pasta, it's pretty darn good!
What you'll need:
- 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef (or whatever you prefer)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- one 24oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 head of garlic (1/2 sliced, 1/2 crushed)
- 2 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp of salt
- 3 tbsp of pepper
- 1 tbsp of red pepper flakes (adjust depending on your taste)
- olive oil
- 2 tbsp of paprika
- 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil
- 1 egg
- 3 large carrots, diced
- french roll
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
How you make it:
Start by sauteing your diced onion, diced carrot, and sliced garlic in a large pot with olive oil and 1 tbsp of salt. Add the red pepper flakes and 2 tbsp of black pepper. Mix it around and let it brown. Then add the full can of crushed tomatoes, the paprika, the sugar, 1 tbsp dried basil and 1 tbsp dried oregano. Lastly, add the parmesan cheese. Mix it up and let this simmer, covered, on low.
In the meantime, in a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, the crushed garlic, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp basil, 1 tbsp paprika, and the 1 egg. Then, make this mixture into golf sized balls (makes about 25)!
After letting the sauce simmer for 45min (make sure the carrots are fully cooked), transfer the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Drizzle in some additional olive oil, and give it a taste! Add whatever you deem necessary (I added a few drops of hot sauce).
Transfer the sauce back into the large pot and simmer on low. Add in the meatballs, cover, and let cook for an hour. [If you use beef fattier than 80/20, cook the meatballs half way on a skillet and drain the fat, then add them to the sauce]
When the meatballs are done, it's sandwich time!!
Cut open your roll and remove a little of the inside bread. Add your meatballs with a good amount of sauce, sprinkle with more oregano, top with 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, and place it in the open on broil. Keep an eye on it, and remove as soon as the cheese starts to look delicious. I added a few extra slices of onion and fresh basil, but you can add whatever you want....sauteed red peppers?
NOM NOM NOM!
