The Newest Meatball Sub on The Block

The Newest Meatball Sub On The Block

Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: Approx 25Min

Yields: See Notes

What You Need

• Sub Buns / Rolls (See Notes)
• Prepared Vodka Sauce - I used store-bought
• Fresh Basil
• EVOO
• Grana Padano - Finely Shredded For Garnish
• 1 C + Shredded Mozzarella (depending on how many sammies)

MEATBALLS

• 1 Lb. Beyond Meat Beef​
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
• 1/2 Small Red Onion, finely diced
• 1/4 C + 1 Tbsp.  Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, rolled and thinly sliced (chiffonade)
• 1/4 C Grana Padano, finely shredded
• 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 Tsp. Himalayan Salt
• Cracked Pepper

PESTO

• 1/4 C Pine Nuts
• 1/4 C EVOO
• 1/2 Lemon, juiced
• 2 cloves Garlic, smashed & chopped
• 11/4 C Fresh Basil, packed
• 1/3 C Fresh Parsley, packed
• 1/3 C Grana Padano, chopped
• 1/4 Tsp. Himalayan Salt
• A few cracks of Black Pepper
• Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
• Splash Cold Water 

Notes

• I purchased these lovely Parmesan Herb Sub Buns from my local market. As the recipe made 8 larger sized meatballs, I could only make two subs based on the size of my buns. You could use smaller rolls / buns and stretch the meatballs out to 3 or 4 sammies depending on the size of the rolls.
• Alternately, you could reduce the size of the meatballs to stretch them out to an additional sandwich, but I'd sooner switch buns because the meatballs are nice and juicy at their current size.
• I made 9 meatballs for myself before realizing my buns were too large and would take 4 each. I switched it to 8 for the recipe, but again, the size of your buns will help you determine how many meatballs to make for your sammies.

Directions

• PESTO - Start by toasting the pine nuts in a dry skillet until they're fragrant with some golden browning. Remove them and transfer them to a small bowl as you grab the rest of your pesto ingredients. Next, smash the garlic and roughly chop it before adding it to a small vortex blender followed by the grana padano, fresh herbs (including some stems), salt, pepper, pepper flakes, pine nuts, lemon juice, and EVOO. Add a splash of cold water before closing it up and blending until smooth and vibrantly green. Add additional EVOO if needed to emulsify nicely. Cover and refrigerate until service.​

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• Add about 1 1/2 cups vodka sauce to a small, covered pot set to medium low and heat until service.
• MEATBALLS - Add all of the ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and work together with your hands. Once combined, roll 1 1/2 heaping Tbsp. of the meaty mix into meatballs and transfer them to a plate. Once you have 8, divide the remaining mixture between the balls and re roll them.​

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• Heat a couple tablespoons EVOO in a non-stick skillet and once heated, add the meatballs. Cook until golden, flip, and continue on the other side until golden. At this point, reduce your heat and cover the skillet for a couple minutes. Remove the cover, flip them again, and cover for a few more minutes. Continue this process until the meatballs are cooked through.​

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• Preheat your oven to 400 F
• For assembly, split open your buns and get them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon a generous layer of pesto on the tops and spread some of the vodka sauce on the bottom. Nestle 4 meatballs onto the buns and top them with a generous amount of shredded mozz. Spoon more vodka sauce over the cheese / meatballs. Once the oven is preheated, add your tray to the oven and bake about 5 minutes until the cheese is melty and your buns are toasty on the outside but still soft inside. Remove your tray to a wire cooling rack.
• For service, garnish your sammies with a couple dollops of pesto, some finely shredded grana padano, and fresh basil leaves. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG