Italian Sausage Meatball Sandwiches

Here's another yummy recipe from my Bon Appetit collection!  I used the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce leftover from my favorite spaghetti and meatballs recipe.  If you have fresh herbs growing in your garden, you'll be glad to use them for this!

4 Servings:
1 pound spicy or sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
3 cups spaghetti sauce*
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, divided

4 5 to 6-inch-long pieces French baguette, split horizontally
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (I used cheddar because that was all I had on hand)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix sausage, 1/2 up marinara, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons parsley, and 2 tablespoons basil in large bowl.

Using wet hands, shape mixture into 8 (or 9) meatballs.  Bring 2 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons basil, remaining marinara and meatballs to boil in large skillet.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, turning often, about 20 minutes.

Place baguette bottoms on baking sheet; spread each with about 2 tablespoons sauce from skillet.  Cut meatballs in half in skillet; overlap 4 halves on each baguette bottom.  Spoon remaining sauce over meatballs, then sprinkle mozzarella over, dividing equally.  Bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining parsley and basil and cover with baguette tops.  Serve with plenty of napkins!


*The sauce I used leftover from my spaghetti recipe equaled about 1 1/2 cups, so I only used that much for this recipe.  It made for less sauce to pour on top of each sub, but it ended up okay.  If you prefer a more saucy meatball sub, stick with the original sauce amount.  
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2007

Favorite Spaghetti & Meatballs

Right after we purchased our first home (almost four years ago--time flies...), a sweet friend gave me this cookbook as a housewarming gift.

I've enjoyed cooking Giada's recipes over the years, and one has become our favorite spaghetti recipe.  I've changed it a little from the original, but it is yummy.  It also freezes well, which is nice, because you can make a double recipe and have lots to freeze.

Sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes  (Note: I've yet to find a 32-ounce can, so I always use 28-ounce cans.  Please, let me know if you find a brand that comes in a 32-ounce size!)
2 dried bay leaves
1/3 cup sugar

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes.

 Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Saute about 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.  Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and sugar, and simmer uncovered over low heat for about an hour.  Remove and discard the bay leaves.   Dip a small piece of bread into the sauce to taste for correct saltiness.  (Okay, so maybe that's not a necessary step, but it sure is yummy!)  Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste

If you use 28-ounce cans, this recipe will make about 7 cups of sauce; you will need 5 cups for the meatballs.

Meatballs:

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cups sauce


In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and the salt and pepper.

Add the meat and gently stir to combine.  Shape the meat mixture into bite-size balls.

 In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the meatballs and cook until brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes.  Turn over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes more.

Continue to cook until all the sides are brown.  Add the marinara sauce and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer about 5 minutes.

Serve over your favorite noodles and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

If you don't want to deal with browning meatballs on top of the stove, you can always bake them on a greased cookie sheet or in a baking pan, for 30 minutes in a 350F oven.