Make your favorite childhood lunch from a can, but better, with a few simple ingredients. These Homemade Spaghetti O's with Meatballs are a super fun one-pot 15-minute easy lunch or dinner.
I was a child of the 90's, which meant Spaghetti O's were definitely a part of the make-by-myself lunch options. How easy was it to grab a can from the pantry and heat it on the stove, and eat in front of the tv watching Doug or Rugrats? Admittedly, my kids live a very different life than I did, especially regarding food (least of which is because I'm a food blogger). But I still love to share my own childhood through food (like my Chicken Broccoli Ziti recipe), and when I saw The Modern Nonna make Spaghettio's on IG, I knew I had to make it for my own kids!
My version is a one-pot situation (like this Mac and Cheese), using just a few pantry staples. The one item that might be tricky to procure is the actual pasta since they aren't readily available in most grocery stores. But I'll get into those details below and link to some sources.
So let's get to making it! You can jump around the article using the menu below, or you can just head right to the bottom for the complete recipe.
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Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card. If substitutions are available for this recipe, they'll be listed here. If you don't see a substitution you are looking for, please leave a comment below.
- small "o" pasta (also called annellini or anelli--more on this below)
- mini meatballs (I used Earth's Best Mini Beef Meatballs because they are the perfect size, and already made. You can make your own meatballs if you want, or use another brand that is larger and either leave them as is, or quarter them to make them smaller)
- butter (I definitely subscribe to the Marcella Hazan butter belongs in tomato sauce camp, so it was a must here)
- pizza seasoning (I'm obsessed with this spice blend from Frontier Co-op if you can find it, and King Arthur Flour has a good version too--however if you don't have it, swap it for dried oregano)
- garlic and onion powder (you could absolutely use fresh onions and garlic, but in an effort to keep this dish as simple as possible, it opts for dried!)
- just a pinch of sugar (to get that authentic Spaghetti O taste, but this is optional)
- beef broth (but if you don't have it, chicken broth or water will do just fine!)
- parm cheese (because it makes everything better, but this is optional)
- salt (This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight)
Let's Talk About Procuring the Pasta
Of course, a big part of making spaghetti O's from scratch is having the right pasta! Most grocery stores that I've checked out do not carry this small "o" pasta shape.
It's referred to by a few different names, with the most common being Anellini or Anelli. Luckily, it's easily purchased online and I've tried this Abruzzi version (where my great great grandparents were from!) and this Sicilian one--they're both good!
If you don't want to special order pasta, you can still make this recipe. Some other shapes that might work well would be:
- Orecchiette
- Cavatelli
- Pipe Rigate
- Elbow
The amount of broth and the cooking time may vary.
Step-By-Step Recipe Overview
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe with the full list of ingredients and instructions, keep scrolling!
Step 1: "Brown" the tomato paste and seasonings (aka cook it with butter until it turns a darker color)
Step 2: Bring the liquid, sugar, and meatballs to a boil.
Step 3: Cook the pasta according to the packaged instructions.
Step 4: Shut off the heat and add in the cheese.
Taste and adjust the seasoning of the pasta after it is done cooking. You may need to add more salt, or more broth/water if the sauce is too thick.
Kelli's Best Tips
This is a simple recipe, but here are my best tips (and notes) for success:
- Cooking the tomato paste and the spices helps create a more complex and deeper flavor and helps eliminate any raw, metallic taste in the tomato paste. It's a simple yet effective technique to elevate the overall quality of the spaghettios, so don't skip it!
- Use a nonstick pot! I don't love nonstick, generally speaking, but for this recipe, it's very useful in preventing the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot as it cooks. If you don't use a nonstick
- Stir often. One pot pastas need to be attended to make sure the pasta is cooking evenly and not sticking to the bottom.
More Pasta Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Making the recipe? Be sure to leave a comment with a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can!
PrintFull Recipe
Easy Homemade Spaghetti O's with Meatballs
- Prep Time: 00:05
- Cook Time: 00:20
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make your favorite childhood lunch from a can, but better, with a few simple ingredients. These Homemade Spaghetti O's with Meatballs are a super fun one-pot 15-minute easy lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 (6 or 7-ounce) can tomato paste (about ¾ cup)
- 2 teaspoons of pizza seasoning or dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, more to taste (see note)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
- 2 cups frozen mini beef meatballs
- 5-6 cups of beef broth or water
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 16 ounces dried Annelini pasta
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large nonstick stock pot over medium heat. Add the tomato paste, pizza seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens slightly in color, about 5 minutes.
- To the pot, add the sugar (if using), meatballs, and 5 cups of beef broth. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente, stirring often. Add more broth as needed if the sauce looks too thick.
- When the pasta is cooked through, shut off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese (if using).
- Taste and adjust seasoning, adding in additional broth and salt as necessary.
- Divide into bowls and serve immediately.
Notes
The pasta can be purchased online: I've tried this Abruzzi version and this Sicilian one--they're both good.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.
Michaela
Delicious! I did my own thing with the seasonings and such. I was worried when I saw how thin and liquidy the sauce was but realized you cook the pasta in there. Came out awesome.
Caroline
Making it right now… stay tuned!!!
Kelli Avila
Hope you enjoy!
Erica
Thanks for the guidance. I have made this once before and couldn’t remember how I did it and what recipe I used before and this one did not disappoint. Very similar to how I remember. And very good. I did add crushed red pepper and made tiny meatballs also adding a bit extra seasoning . Came out great. Glad I can give my kids the classic but with much better ingredients and non processed.
Julie
Loved it! It was a hit in our household! Nice and cozy! I used the Texas snakes pastas and it was perfect!
Lori
Love this recipe, yes it reminds me of my childhood and brings back fond memories. I used the pizza spice in my soup and it was delicious. I could not find the #60 Anelini pasta but found #23 instead. It is slightly larger but has the same look. I actually canned my soup. I placed 1/4 cup uncooked pasta into 500 ml jars and water bathed for 3 hours. Now I can grab and go as I like.
Heather
Has anyone tried this with orzo pasta? It’s the only smaller pasta I have and the grocery store is not a convenient drive for just one thing! lol
Casey
Absolutely delicious! This is the new go-to for dinner. THANK YOU!!!!!
Amber
Can I freeze this?
Alyssa T
Just made this tonight for my family (and our 2 meal share families). What an easy and tasty meal! I don’t eat beef so used turkey meatballs and chicken broth and while I’m sure this means the meal tastes different than intended, I still found it very satisfying.