Meatball Sub

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F and line a tray.

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2. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes, then mix with both minces, the egg, Parmigiano, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano. Mix with your hands only until combined.

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3. Roll into 20 balls of about 45 g and space them on the tray.

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4. Bake 15 minutes, until browned on top but not cooked through.

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5. Meanwhile heat the oil in a wide pan and cook the garlic and chilli flakes 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, sugar and salt and simmer 12 minutes.

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6. Slide the baked meatballs and any tray juices into the sauce and simmer gently 12 minutes more, turning once, until cooked through. Stir in the basil.

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7. Open the rolls, scatter half the mozzarella over the cut faces, and grill for 2 to 3 minutes until melted and bubbling. This layer is what keeps the bread from going to pulp.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

8. Load 5 meatballs and a generous spoonful of sauce into each roll.

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9. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmigiano and grill 3 minutes more, until melted and blistered.

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Chef’s Tips

• Grill the cheese into the bread first. Skip it and you will be eating the sandwich with a fork.
• Do not over-sauce. Enough to coat the meatballs, not enough to pool.
• The meatballs and sauce freeze well; the assembly takes six minutes from there.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cold lager
• Pickled peppers
• A sharp green salad

Storage & Reheating

Meatballs in sauce keep 4 days refrigerated and freeze for 3 months. Assemble to order.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.