If you loved SpaghettiOs as a kid, you’re going to fall in love with this easy homemade version tender meatballs and a rich tomato sauce. It’s the perfect combination of tender pasta, miniature meatballs, and rich tomato sauce. Made in under an hour, it's simple to make on a busy weeknight!
Skip the canned version and make these Homemade SpaghettiOs with meatballs from scratch! It is seriously one of the most comforting and delicious meals you never knew you needed to make. Talk about a core memory unlocked!
With a creamy tomato sauce, bite-sized meatballs, and the fun shape of anellini pasta, this classic dish is packed with wholesome ingredients and is guaranteed to be a go-to family favorite!
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Make your family smile taste buds dance with our other retro pasta favorites, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Cafeteria Noodles, and Cafeteria Chili.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Homemade comfort food. A childhood favorite, it brings the classic flavors of SpaghettiOs to life with a fresh, homemade touch.
- Wholesome Simple ingredients. Made from scratch with no artificial ingredients, making it a more nutritious option than the store-bought version.
- Kid-friendly. The fun shape of the anellini pasta and little meatballs make this homemade spaghettios recipe a meal both kids and adults will enjoy. It's sure to be a new family favorite!
- Customizable. It's the perfect recipe! You can adjust seasonings, swap pasta shapes, or even add vegetables to suit your family's taste.
- Freezer-friendly. This meal freezes well, so you can enjoy it again on busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below.
Meatball Ingredients:
- Ground beef: The base for the meatballs, providing richness and flavor.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Helps bind the meatballs together and gives them a tender texture.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a sharp, nutty flavor to the meatballs.
- Garlic: Provides a savory, aromatic flavor. Fresh garlic or garlic powder will both work.
- Milk: Keeps the meatballs moist and tender.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together.
- Italian seasoning: Brings in classic Italian herb flavors like oregano and basil.
Sauce Ingredients:
- Butter: Adds richness and silkiness to the sauce.
- Garlic and onion: Finely chopped onion and minced garlic forms the flavorful base of the sauce, adding depth.
- Tomato paste: Intensifies the tomato flavor and adds a rich texture.
- Tomato sauce: The main body of the sauce, providing that familiar spaghetti flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Salt and black pepper: Balances and enhances the flavor of the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a cheesy richness to the sauce and helps thicken it slightly.
- Anelli pasta: The small round pasta gives the dish its classic SpaghettiOs look and texture.
Tools You'll Need
- 12"x17" Sheet Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Large Skillet
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Wooden Stirring Spoon
How to Make Homemade SpaghettiOs
- For the meatballs, in a medium bowl, combine ground beef, panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, milk, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix just until combined.
- Roll the meatball mixture into ½-inch balls and place in a single layer on an aluminum foil linked baking sheet pan. Bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes or until golden brown with an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al Dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- In a medium skillet on medium-high heat, melt two tablespoons of the butter. Once melted, add garlic and onion. Cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes.
- Add tomato puree, sugar, salt, pepper, remaining butter, the reserved pasta water, and parmesan cheese. Mix well and simmer on medium-low heat 3-5 minutes. Add additional water to thin the sauce to your desired texture.
- Fold the cooked meatballs and drained pasta into the sauce.
- Ladle and garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Pro Tips and Substitutions
- Swap the ground meat. Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef for a lighter version.
- Use different cheeses. If you don't have parmesan, you can substitute it with pecorino romano or even mozzarella for a different flavor. Good quality cheese is important for meltability.
- Other pasta shapes that work well. If you can’t find anellini pasta, you can use any small pasta like ditalini pasta or mini elbow macaroni.
- Make-ahead tip. Prepare the homemade meatballs in advance and freeze them. When ready to use, thaw and cook as directed.
- Add extra spices. You can add extra flavor to the yummy sauce with Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic salt, or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Add vegetables. Adding diced carrots, bell peppers, or spinach to the sauce is a great way to sneak in extra veggies.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover SpaghettiOs and meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can freeze this dish for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and warm it up on the stove or in the microwave. Add a splash of water or broth when reheating to help bring the sauce back to the perfect consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Tiny meatballs aren't sold in the store, but you can use your favorite larger size store-bought meatballs if you’re in a pinch for time. Just heat them up and add them to the sauce as instructed.
Ditalini, mini elbow macaroni, or even small shells will work well as substitutes for aneletti pasta.
Absolutely! You can make the sauce and meatballs a day ahead and store them in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, cook the pasta and mix everything together.
Definitely! Adding diced carrots, bell peppers, or spinach to the sauce is a great way to sneak in extra veggies.
More Family Favorite Dinners
Homemade SpaghettiOs and Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- ¾-1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup panko crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 29 ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 10 ounces aneletti pasta
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- For the meatballs, in a medium bowl, combine ground beef, panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, milk, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix just until combined.
- Roll the meatball mixture into ½-inch balls and place in a single layer on an aluminum foil linked baking sheet pan. Bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes or until golden brown with an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al Dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- In a medium skillet on medium-high heat, melt two tablespoons of the butter. Once melted, add garlic and onion. Cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes.
- Add tomato puree, sugar, salt, pepper, remaining butter, the reserved pasta water, and parmesan cheese. Mix well and simmer on low 3-5 minutes. Add additional water to thin the sauce to your desired texture.
- Fold the cooked meatballs and drained pasta into the sauce. Ladle and garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips and Substitutions
- Ground meat: Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef for a lighter version.
- Cheese: If you don't have parmesan, you can substitute it with pecorino romano or even mozzarella for a different flavor. Good quality cheese is important for meltability.
- Pasta: If you can’t find anellini pasta, you can use any small pasta like ditalini pasta or mini elbow macaroni.
- Make-ahead tip: Prepare the homemade meatballs in advance and freeze them. When ready to use, thaw and cook as directed.
- Add extra spices: You can add extra flavor to the yummy sauce with Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic salt, or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Add vegetables: Adding diced carrots, bell peppers, or spinach to the sauce is a great way to sneak in extra veggies.
Crystal
My 8 and 3 year old loved this recipe! It was much easier for my toddler to eat this than regular spaghetti. Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
Laura Ashley
Aww!🥹You’re so sweet! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 That means a lot to me! So happy it was a hit!