Death sandwich with lemon ricotta meatballs

Finely mince one onion so it gives up as much flavour as possible during a short simmer.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium until shimmering, add half the chopped onion and saute until soft and translucent, three to five minutes.

Crush in three garlic cloves, squeeze in three tablespoons of tomato paste, shake in about half a teaspoon of dried oregano and a quarter teaspoon of dried red pepper flake, and saute 30 seconds to one minute until fragrant.

Add a 28 ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes with about a quarter can of water, mash with a potato masher until smooth and spreadable, and add a sprig of fresh basil.

Keep at a bare simmer over low heat for 45 to 90 minutes.

Saute the other half of the onion with two crushed garlic cloves and let them cool.

Bunch the parsley and basil into a ball and chop them finely.

In a large bowl combine the herbs, half a cup of ricotta, the cooled onions and garlic, about half a cup of panko breadcrumbs, the zest of one lemon, one large egg and about two ounces of Parmesan.

Add the ground pork, mix until homogenous and form into very large meatballs.

Heat a not insignificant amount of vegetable oil in a saute pan and brown the meatballs about two minutes on each side.

Finish in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 20 minutes until they register 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Season the sauce with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and spread it on the bottom half of a submarine roll.

Stack folded ham across the sauce, line the meatballs up over it, add no cheese, and top it up.