Did you grow up eating pasta out of a can? I sure did and I LOVED it. Our pantry would always have an abundance of 2-for-1 on sale cans of the saucy stuff and I would heat one up whenever I felt like a snack. I miss my kid metabolism…I can’t believe I used to eat cans of pasta as a snack! If only my snacks now were the snacks of my youth…I would be so happy.

Anyway, snacks aside I still love a tiny pasta and mini meatball because they’re spoonable and who doesn’t love spoonable food that you eat out of a bowl? Did you know that SpaghettiOs were apparently invented because back in the day they thought that kids didn’t know how to eat long pasta neatly? It also had something to do with the fact that small pasta retains it’s texture better in a can. Doesn’t really matter to me but I do admit there’s something fun about spooning up pasta. It seems a lot more efficient somehow.

Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

As fun as spooning is, this recipe almost didn’t happen even though I’ve been wanting to make homemade spaghettiOs forever. Like so many other ideas I just never got around it it. Luckily (or maybe unluckily) these guys got made because of a failed experiment. I had a bunch of mini meatballs in tomato sauce because I wanted to create a bread cube stuffed with spaghetti and mini meatballs. The bread cube didn’t quite work out (I didn’t sauce the spaghetti enough) but the mini meatballs in sauce turned out to be SO delicious that they had to be mixed up with mini rings.

Those iconic spaghettiO mini rings are actually not that easy to find. We had some anelli pasta in the pantry, but it was the kind that had cut edges instead of those smooth rings you find in a can. I mean, they worked, but had I had time to plan in advance I would have scoured the internet for those smooth rings. Taste-wise they were practically the same except when you make pasta at home it invariably ends up more al dente from pasta in a can.

Sweet and slightly tangy tomato sauce, tender lil meatballs and spoonable scoopable pasta. This was a satisfying taste of nostalgia and I would totally do it again even though shaping those little meatballs was a pain in the butt!

Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe

4.95 from 17 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes 1 can
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 12 oz anelletti or small shaped ring pasta

Meatballs

  • 1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 8 oz ground beef
  • 8 oz ground pork

Instructions

  • In a large, deep skillet, heat up the olive and and butter. Add the sugar, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and parsley. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook until the flavors meld, about 20 minutes (or as long as it takes you to make the meatballs). Taste and season with salt and pepper.
    Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • While the sauce is simmering, make the meatballs. In a large bowl, mix together the panko, 1 flat leaf parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the milk and whisk in the egg. Add the beef and pork and mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork. Form into tiny dime sized meatballs, wetting your hands lightly as you go along so the meat doesn’t stick to your hands. Place the meatballs on a tray.
    Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Gently place the meatballs into the simmering sauce. If there isn’t enough room for the meatballs to be covered by the sauce, add a bit of water or stock to ensure all the meatballs are fully covered. Simmer covered for 10-15 minutes or until the meatballs are tender and cooked through (cut one open to check).
    Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • While the meatballs are simmering, cook the pasta according to the package in a large pot of salted water.
    Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • When al dente, drain well and top with the mini meatball sauce, stirring to combine everything together. Enjoy topped with parmesan, chili flakes, and extra flat leaf parsley if desired.
    Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

13 Comments

  1. JOHN REED says:

    Made this last night…family loved it, thanks

    1. Stephanie says:

      thanks john! so happy your family enjoyed :)

  2. My mouth is watering right now! The dish looks amazing <3 I often cook meatballs w spaghettis, but never with this type. Gotta try it soon!

  3. Krista says:

    5 stars
    CANNOT wait to try this out this weekend! I still love the canned stuff, but I’m positive this will be 100% better!?❤?

  4. Kim Keister says:

    5 stars
    Cannot wait to try my first bite!!

  5. Kim Keister says:

    5 stars
    Was better than canned! Full of flavor. Cannot have salt so used tomato sauce with no salt added.

  6. Chris says:

    5 stars
    I would like to thank you. I knew there had to a way to make an elevated version of the classic.

  7. susan says:

    do you put parmesan in the meatballs? i don’t see it in the recipe but it looks like there is a bunch of it in the picture

    1. Stephanie says:

      you’re right, there is parm in the photo – i don’t quite remember, but if you want to add some, i recommend 1/2 cup finely grated if you want to go for it!

      1. Hans says:

        5 stars
        he… I came here looking for the answer to this question. Thanks a million!

  8. Kathy says:

    Would love to make this, but need to know how many servings does this make?

    1. Stephanie says:

      it serves 4!

  9. Nikko says:

    5 stars
    So very good! Will add a bit more crushed tomato next time but great grown up version spaghettios and meatballs. Thank you!

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Thanks for reading as always!
-Steph & Mike