How to Make Homemade Spaghettios

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

There's a reason why kids love Spaghetti Os -- they combine all the delicious flavor of grown up spaghetti and meatballs in a fun ring-shaped pasta that's ready in a hurry. As a parent, you may not love Spaghetti Os quite as much because they're loaded with preservatives and other hard to pronounce ingredients. Fortunately, you can whip up a homemade version of this childhood staple with wholesome ingredients. The key is using anelletti pasta, which offers the same small ring shape that the store-bought version does. Pair with a delicious sauce and some mini-sized meatballs, and your kids will forget all about the canned stuff.

Ingredients

½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 tablespoons (33 g) tomato paste
1 28-ounce (794 g) can tomato puree
4 teaspoons (24 g) kosher salt, plus more
3 teaspoons (12 g) sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (59 ml) water
¾ pound (340 g) ground beef
¾ pound (340 g) anelletti pasta
¾ cup (75 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:
Preparing the Sauce

1
Melt some of the butter in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter to a large saucepan. Place it on the stove, and turn the heat to medium-high. Heat the butter until it melts completely, which should take approximately 5 minutes.^{[1]
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- If you prefer, you can substitute olive oil for the butter.
2
Add the garlic and onion and saute. Once the butter is melted, mix in 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 small minced onion. Let them cook until they are soft and translucent, which should take 3 to 4 minutes.^{[2]
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- If you like a stronger garlic flavor, you can add 1 to 2 more cloves.
3
Mix in the tomato paste and cook for several minutes. When the garlic and onion are soft, add 2 tablespoons (33 g) of tomato paste. Cook the mixture for 2 minutes to help the paste blend in.^{[3]
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- Stir the mixture gently as it’s cooking to ensure that it heats evenly.
4
Stir in the rest of the butter, tomato puree, spices, and water. After the tomato paste has been cooked into the mixture, add the remaining 6 tablespoons (85 g) of butter, 1 28-ounce (794 g) can of tomato puree, 2 teaspoons (12 g) of kosher salt, 3 teaspoons (12 g) of sugar, freshly ground black pepper to taste, and ¼ cup (59 ml) of water. Mix well until all of the ingredients are combined.^{[4]
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- If you want the sauce to have a spicy kick, you can also mix in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
5
Cook the sauce until it thickens. Once all of the ingredients are mixed, continue cooking the sauce on medium-high. Heat it until the sauce becomes thick, which should take approximately 5 minutes.^{[5]
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- Store-bought spaghettios usually have a fairly thin, almost soup-like sauce. If you want a thinner sauce for your homemade version, don’t cook it as long.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:
Creating the Meatballs

1
Combine the salt, pepper, and ground beef. Add ¾ pound (340 g) of ground beef, 2 teaspoons (12 g) of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste to a large bowl. Mix well with clean hands to ensure that the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the meat.^{[6]
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- You can add other seasonings to the meatballs if you like. Grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning are all good options.
- If you prefer a vegetarian version, you can omit the meatballs.
- If don’t want to make your own meatballs, you can use frozen meatballs -- just make sure to use a mini size. Defrost the meatballs according to the package instructions.^{[7]
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2
Roll the meat into balls. Once the meat is seasoned, use clean hands to roll it into small balls. Aim for meatballs that are approximately ¾-inch (1.9-cm) large.^{[8]
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- It’s important to keep the meatballs small because the pasta used in the dish is small. Use the size of the meatballs in store-bought spaghettios as a guide.
3
Place the meatballs in the sauce and heat until they’re cooked through. After you’ve formed all of the meatballs, add them to the sauce. Stir the mixture well to distribute the meatballs, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the meatballs until they are cooked through, which should take 6 to 8 minutes.^{[9]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:
Cooking the Pasta and Mixing the Dish

1
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a large stockpot with at least 4 quarts (3.8 l) of water. Place the pot on the stove, and add a generous amount of salt to the water. Turn the heat to high, and cover the pot to bring it to a full boil.^{[10]
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- Depending on your stove, it should take approximately 5 to 10 minutes for the water to come to a boil.
2
Add the pasta and cook until it’s al dente. When the water is boiling, add ¾ pound (340 g) of anelletti pasta to the pot. Keep the heat on high to return the water to a boil, and cook the pasta until it is tender but still firm, which should take approximately 8 to 12 minutes.^{[11]
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- Anelletti is a small ring-shaped pasta. You can also use ditalini pasta, which is a small tube-shaped pasta.
- Leave the pot uncovered while the pasta is cooking.
3
Drain the pasta. When the pasta is al dente, remove the pot from the stove. Immediately pour the pasta into a colander in the sink to drain it. Shake the colander well to ensure that the excess water is removed.^{[12]
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- Don’t rinse the pasta after you’ve drained it. The starch on its surface will help the sauce stick to it.
4
Add the pasta and the grated cheese to the saucepan and mix. Once the pasta is drained, add it to the sauce and meatballs. Next, mix in ¾ cup (75 g) of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Toss the contents of the pan well to ensure that the pasta, sauce, and meatballs are well mixed.^{[13]
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- You may want to taste the pasta at this point to see if the seasoning is right. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
5
Spoon the pasta into bowls and serve. When the pasta, sauce, and meatballs are fully mixed, divide the mixture between 4 bowls. You may want to sprinkle a little more grated parmesan over the bowls before serving.^{[14]
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