Recipe courtesy of Robert Irvine

Muffuletta Meatball Sub

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 30 min
  • Active: 1 hr
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Meatballs:

Tomato Sauce:

Tapenade:

Plating:

Directions

  1. For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, combine the capicola, ham and salami, and pulse until the meats are chopped.
  2. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped meats, milk, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, onion, parsley and eggs. Mix until combined. Make a small test patty and cook. Taste the patty and then sprinkle the meat mixture with salt and pepper. Portion the meatball mixture into 3-ounce balls and arrange on a sheet pan. Bake the meatballs until three-quarters cooked, about 20 minutes.
  3. For the sauce: In a pot, heat the oil. Add the carrots, celery and onions, and saute until tender. Add the garlic, oregano and rosemary, and saute for another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato paste and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
  4. Stir in the basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
  5. For the tapenade: In a food processor, combine the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, garlic and some pepper, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the oil to the mixture slowly, while pulsing.
  6. For plating: Bring the sauce to a simmer in a pot and add the meatballs. Simmer until the meatballs are fully cooked, and then hold hot until ready to serve.
  7. Split the hoagie rolls and butter each side. Toast the rolls on a hot skillet or saute pan. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the tapenade on the toasted roll and spoon 3 meatballs into each roll. Top each roll with some tomato sauce, Parmesan and chopped parsley, then serve.

Cook’s Note

A Mediterranean blend works best for the pitted mixed olives in the tapenade.