ITALIAN STYLE MEATBALL SUBS

last year i started this blog as a creative outlet, with the hopes of spending more time focusing on things that make me truly happy; cooking, writing, taking pictures, and eating (i also hoped to learn a little something along the way.) my boyfriend, the constant student, has rubbed off on me and one of the most inspiring things that he's taught me is to never stop learning. that there are millions of things out there to enrich your life and all you have to do is give a little thought and some time to learning them. and although he is still hounding me about my lack of initiative to learn french with him (somewhere in our spare time between work, cooking, mba classes, and study groups) i think that he would be proud to say that over the past year i've learned a thing or two about what tastes good, and how to make it taste even better.

i rarely will order a hot sandwich and i usually prefer ragu to meatballs, but if there was ever a time to eat a meatball sub it would be now. the reasons of course being: cold weather, (snow in nyc last saturday!) football, the last bunches of basil at the farmer's market, and did i mention cold weather? the other reason why i love these italian inspired meatball sandwiches is because it gives me the opportunity to load them with jamie oliver's out of this world marinara sauce.

part of the learning experience and something to keep in mind when writing a cooking blog, is that not everything is going to come out according to plan. there will be meals that some people love and some that people don't, but regardless of the criticism, the process of creating something shouldn't be halted by fear that what you make might not be the best thing anyone has ever tasted. the truth is that is probably won't be the best, but that's not to say that it won't be delicious and worth trying.

with that being said; jamie, although i adore your marinara sauce, i have to give it to the barefoot contessa for the better meatball recipe. and for everyone else, just because i love these sandwiches on a hard sesame baguette, loaded with marinara sauce, a dollop of ricotta cheese, and basil leaves, does not mean that you won't love them on soft french bread with parmesan cheese. the basics are there, and now it's your opportunity to make them as you please. enjoy!


Italian Style Meatball Subs
Adapted from Jamie Oliver and Ina Garten, serves 6

For the meatballs:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crust removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 1 -2-inch meatballs. You will have 16-24 meatballs depending on size.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low, turning carefully with a spatula or fork. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels.

For the sauce and sandwich:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
28 ounce can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes (or 2 x 14-ounce cans)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1-2 baguettes (sesame or french bread)
Large bunch of basil leaves
1/2 - 1 cup ricotta cheese for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and stir until lightly softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and as soon as it starts to change in color, add the large basil leaves. Next add the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil and season to taste. Add the meatballs to the sauce, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

To assemble the sandwich, cut the baguette in half or on one side leaving the other side attached. At this point you can also cut the bread into 4-inch sandwiches or leave the bread whole and slice once finished. Add the meatballs and the sauce to the bread (if using 4-inch sandwiches put 2 meatballs on each sandwich.) Pour extra sauce from the pan over the meatballs to coat. Add a dollop of ricotta cheese to the tops of the meatballs and then garnish with basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Eat while still warm or at room temperature.