Go Back
Print

Pull Apart Nduja Meatball Sliders

Yields 12 sliders
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pork, sandwich
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Author Christine Ma

Ingredients

Nduja meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • ¼ pound nduja
  • ⅓ cup panko
  • ¼ cup grated onion
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups marinara sauce

Arugula pesto

  • 2 cups arugula
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup olive oil

Remaining ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 12 dinner rolls
  • 6 ounces fontina cheese sliced
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Make the meatballs. Combine ground pork with nduja, panko, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, and egg, mixing until well combined. Shape mixture into 12 meatballs and place in a baking dish. Bake meatballs for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
  • Reduce oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Pour marinara sauce over meatballs and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
  • Make the pesto. In a food processor or blender, pulse together arugula with parmesan, walnuts, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil until well combined. Set aside.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Saute sliced bell pepper and onion until softened and browned, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Increase oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Carefully slice dinner rolls in half down the middle, keeping the rolls intact. Place bottom half on a baking sheet and spread 3 tablespoons pesto followed by sauteed peppers and onion. Place one meatball per roll and top with sliced fontina. Place remaining bread on top.
  • Combine dried basil with oregano, parsley, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush melted butter on top of bread and sprinkle herb mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve while hot.

Notes

The pesto can be prepared up to 5 days in advance.
To make the sliders ahead of time, prepare and cook the meatballs the day before. Right before serving, assemble the meatballs and bake.