Homemade Spaghetti O’s With Meatballs Recipe

I turned a can of childhood spaghetti into Homemade Spaghettios And Meatballs, a playful one-pot recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes with just a few pantry staples.

I finally figured out how to make a Spaghetti O Recipe that actually tastes like the canned one but better. I use anellini or small O pasta with frozen mini meatballs for speed, and it cooks in one pot in about 15 minutes.

It’s silly comfort food and it hits that weird grown up nostalgia for Childhood Favorite Recipes without being mushy, plus kids totally love it. I won’t pretend every batch is perfect, I mess up sometimes but that’s part of the fun right?

Try it when you want a quick, silly retro dinner that actually surprises you.

Ingredients

• Anellini pasta, tiny O shapes give quick carbs and modest fiber, fun to eat.
• Ground beef brings protein and iron, turkey is leaner with less fat.
• Tomato sauce gives lycopene, vitamin C and a bright tomato tang.
• Tomato paste concentrates savory umami, deepens flavor with just a spoonful.
• Ketchup and brown sugar add familiar sweetness and sticky comfort flavor.
• Vinegar adds sharp acid, balances sweetness and brightens the whole sauce.
• Onion and garlic give savory depth and aroma, they soften when simmered.
• Parmesan adds salty tang, butter rounds flavor and makes sauce silky.

Ingredient Quantities

• 8 oz anellini or small O pasta (about 2 cups)
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey, or 12 oz frozen mini meatballs (if you want it faster)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for browning meat or meatballs)
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (or 2 tsp granulated sugar)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for a little tang)
• 1 tbsp butter (optional, for richness)
• Fresh parsley or dried parsley for garnish (optional)

How to Make this

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium-high; if using ground beef or turkey, add the 1 lb, season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper and brown, breaking it up until no pink remains; if using 12 oz frozen mini meatballs, brown them in the oil until edges get a little color, about 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Push the meat to the side (or remove briefly if pan is too crowded), add the finely chopped small yellow onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. Stir in the 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 30 to 60 seconds to deepen the flavor, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.

4. Pour in the 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce and 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water, then add 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp brown sugar (or 2 tsp granulated sugar), and 1 tsp vinegar; sprinkle in 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and a little extra salt and pepper to taste, stir well to combine.

5. Add the 8 oz anellini or small O pasta directly to the sauce, push meat back in if you removed it, bring the pot to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer; partially cover and cook, stirring every couple minutes so the tiny pasta doesn’t stick, until pasta is tender and sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes (timing depends on the pasta).

6. If the mixture looks too thick before the pasta is done, add small splashes of water or broth; if too thin at the end, simmer a minute longer uncovered to reduce.

7. Taste and adjust: add a pinch more salt, a dash more sugar if it’s too acidic, or a splash more vinegar if it needs brightness; this is the quick trick that makes it taste like the canned classic but better.

8. Off the heat stir in 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese if using, this makes the sauce richer and smoother.

9. Serve hot, garnish with fresh or dried parsley, and enjoy — it’s an easy one pot lunch or dinner in about 15 minutes.

Equipment Needed

1. Large skillet or wide saucepan with lid big enough for 1 lb meat and the pasta
2. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for stirring and scraping up browned bits
3. Chef’s knife and cutting board for the onion and garlic
4. Measuring cups and measuring spoons (for pasta, broth, tomato paste, sugars etc)
5. Can opener for the tomato sauce
6. Tongs or slotted spoon to move meat or meatballs and stir pasta gently
7. Small bowl or ramekin to hold measured spices and ketchup (mise en place helps)
8. Microplane or fine grater for the Parmesan, plus a spoon for tasting and finishing butter

FAQ

Homemade Spaghetti O’s With Meatballs Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Anellini or small O pasta: swap with ditalini, orzo, mini elbow macaroni or small shells. Any tiny pasta that holds sauce works, cook time may shift a few minutes.
• Ground beef or turkey or frozen mini meatballs: use Italian sausage removed from its casing, plant based crumbles, cooked lentils or finely chopped mushrooms for a vegetarian version, or shredded rotisserie chicken for a quicker option.
• Tomato sauce and tomato paste: replace with a 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes or passata plus 1 tbsp tomato paste for thickness. For a sweeter, smoother finish you can use condensed tomato soup but cut the brown sugar in half.
• Chicken broth or water: swap with vegetable broth for vegetarian dishes, beef broth for deeper flavor, or water plus 1 bouillon cube or 1 tsp bouillon paste. A splash of white wine to deglaze then add water also works great.

Pro Tips

– Dont rush the browning. Let the meat or meatballs get some color, and if the pan is crowded pull stuff out and brown in batches. When you stir in the tomato paste, cook it a bit and scrape up the browned bits, thats where the best flavor hides.

– If you use turkey add a splash more oil or a knob of butter so it doesnt dry out. Frozen mini meatballs are a great shortcut, just let them get a little color so they dont taste like plain boiled meat.

– Since the tiny pasta cooks right in the sauce, stir every couple minutes and keep the heat at a gentle simmer so it wont stick. Keep an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot broth or water handy and add small splashes if it thickens too fast, the starch from the pasta will help the sauce cling.

– Finish off the pan off the heat with the butter and Parmesan and let it rest a minute before serving, that makes it smoother and richer. Taste at the end and tweak with a pinch more sugar if its too acidic or a quick splash of vinegar if it needs brightness.

Homemade Spaghetti O's With Meatballs Recipe

Recipe by Tina Simpson

0.0 from 0 votes

I turned a can of childhood spaghetti into Homemade Spaghettios And Meatballs, a playful one-pot recipe that's ready in 15 minutes with just a few pantry staples.

Pin

Servings

4

servings

Calories

615

kcal

Equipment: 1. Large skillet or wide saucepan with lid big enough for 1 lb meat and the pasta
2. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for stirring and scraping up browned bits
3. Chef’s knife and cutting board for the onion and garlic
4. Measuring cups and measuring spoons (for pasta, broth, tomato paste, sugars etc)
5. Can opener for the tomato sauce
6. Tongs or slotted spoon to move meat or meatballs and stir pasta gently
7. Small bowl or ramekin to hold measured spices and ketchup (mise en place helps)
8. Microplane or fine grater for the Parmesan, plus a spoon for tasting and finishing butter

Ingredients

• 8 oz anellini or small O pasta (about 2 cups)

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey, or 12 oz frozen mini meatballs (if you want it faster)

• 1 tbsp olive oil (for browning meat or meatballs)

• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water

• 1 tbsp ketchup

• 1 tbsp brown sugar (or 2 tsp granulated sugar)

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for a little tang)

• 1 tbsp butter (optional, for richness)

• Fresh parsley or dried parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium-high; if using ground beef or turkey, add the 1 lb, season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper and brown, breaking it up until no pink remains; if using 12 oz frozen mini meatballs, brown them in the oil until edges get a little color, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Push the meat to the side (or remove briefly if pan is too crowded), add the finely chopped small yellow onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Stir in the 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 30 to 60 seconds to deepen the flavor, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
• Pour in the 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce and 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water, then add 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp brown sugar (or 2 tsp granulated sugar), and 1 tsp vinegar; sprinkle in 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and a little extra salt and pepper to taste, stir well to combine.
• Add the 8 oz anellini or small O pasta directly to the sauce, push meat back in if you removed it, bring the pot to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer; partially cover and cook, stirring every couple minutes so the tiny pasta doesn’t stick, until pasta is tender and sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes (timing depends on the pasta).
• If the mixture looks too thick before the pasta is done, add small splashes of water or broth; if too thin at the end, simmer a minute longer uncovered to reduce.
• Taste and adjust: add a pinch more salt, a dash more sugar if it’s too acidic, or a splash more vinegar if it needs brightness; this is the quick trick that makes it taste like the canned classic but better.
• Off the heat stir in 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese if using, this makes the sauce richer and smoother.
• Serve hot, garnish with fresh or dried parsley, and enjoy — it's an easy one pot lunch or dinner in about 15 minutes.

Notes

• Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 380g
• Total number of serves: 4
• Calories: 615kcal
• Fat: 33g
• Saturated Fat: 13.5g
• Trans Fat: 0.3g
• Polyunsaturated: 3g
• Monounsaturated: 10g
• Cholesterol: 85mg
• Sodium: 690mg
• Potassium: 800mg
• Carbohydrates: 56g
• Fiber: 4.3g
• Sugar: 7g
• Protein: 38g
• Vitamin A: 800IU
• Vitamin C: 8mg
• Calcium: 150mg
• Iron: 3.5mg