There's nothing I love more than a homemade version of a classic nostalgic dish! These homemade spaghetti o's with mini meatballs are a fun, kid-friendly, weeknight dinner! With homemade tomato sauce and moist, juicy mini meatballs, they taste SO much better than the store-bought version!
You might also like this kid friendly white cheddar broccoli mac and cheese or these classic Italian meatballs!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few ingredients to make these homemade spaghetti o's with mini meatballs!
Ground Beef - Use 80 or 85% lean ground beef for the best flavor! You can also substitute ground pork or Italian sausage if desired. Using fresh (not previously frozen) meat will produce the best results.
Breadcrumbs and Milk - When mixed with a little bit of whole milk, breadcrumbs make your meatballs moist, tender, and juicy! I recommend using plain breadcrumbs instead of pre-seasoned so that you can control the level of seasoning.
Parmesan Cheese - This is optional, but there's nothing better than a little parmesan in your mini Italian meatballs!
Egg - This is important to help bind the meatballs together! Always use 1 egg per 1 pound of meat.
Anelli Pasta - For the spaghetti o's you want to use small "O" shaped pasta like Anelli (also called Anellini). It can be hard to find in stores, but luckily you can easily order it online. You could also substitute alphabet pasta or stelline pasta!
San Marzano Tomatoes - I always use San Marzano tomatoes for the best flavor, but any canned tomatoes will work. You want one 28 ounce can or two 14 ounce cans of tomatoes. Alternatively you can substitute your favorite tomato sauce.
Tomato Paste - The tomato paste is optional but adds an extra depth of flavor beyond the canned tomatoes.
Italian Herbs - I like using fresh herbs like basil, thyme, or oregano in the sauce! But you can also substitute 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning instead.
Red Pepper Flakes - This is optional but I love adding a sprinkle of red pepper for a bit of heat.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Spaghetti O's
Start by making a panade (a paste of breadcrumbs and milk). In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk and let sit for about 10 minutes until all the milk is absorbed.
Then add in the grated parmesan, egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and mix to combine.
Then add in the ground beef and use your hands to mix until fully combined, but be careful not to overwork the meat. [If you're like me and don't like touching raw meat, use some disposable food-safe gloves.]
Use a cookie scoop, to make 2 teaspoon size balls and gently roll them in your hands to get a perfect round shape. You should end up with roughly 65 meatballs.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sear the mini meatballs in batches until browned on the outside, about 2-3 minutes per side. Don't worry if they're fully cooked inside, they'll continue cooking in the sauce.
Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the diced onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes until soft and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste until combined and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Add in can of San Marzano tomatoes and crush (I just use my hands to lightly crush them). Then add in the fresh thyme and salt.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the seared mini meatballs back in. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
While the sauce is cooking, go ahead and cook the pasta according to package directions. Make sure you heavily salt the water and cook the pasta for about 1-2 minutes less than the listed time for perfect al dente pasta!
Before draining, scoop out about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Then drain the pasta (but do NOT rinse it).
Add the al dente pasta and pasta water to the sauce and toss gently to combine for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up and coats the noodles.
Stir in the fresh basil, then taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Serve the spaghetti o's and mini meatballs with a garnish of parmesan and enjoy!
Recipe FAQ's
The spaghetti o's are best eaten the same day but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will soak up the sauce in the fridge, so it's best to reheat on the stove with a little extra water, broth, or tomato sauce to add more moisture.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Pasta Recipes You Might Like!
- The Best Baked Italian Meatballs
- White Cheddar Broccoli Mac & Cheese
- Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta
- Simple Cold Pasta Salad
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Recipe Card
Homemade Spaghetti O's with Mini Meatballs
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Mini Meatballs
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 pound ground beef
Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ large onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
Pasta
- 16 ounces anelli pasta
- ¼ cup pasta water, optional if needed
- parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Start by making a panade (a paste of breadcrumbs and milk). In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk and let sit for about 10 minutes until all the milk is absorbed.
- Then add in the grated parmesan, egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and mix to combine.
- Then add in the ground beef and use your hands to mix until fully combined, but be careful not to overwork the meat. [If you're like me and don't like touching raw meat, use some disposable food-safe gloves.]
- Use a cookie scoop, to make 2 teaspoon size balls and gently roll them in your hands to get a perfect round shape. You should end up with roughly 65 meatballs.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sear the mini meatballs in batches until browned on the outside, about 2-3 minutes per side. Don't worry if they're fully cooked inside, they'll continue cooking in the sauce. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the diced onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes until soft and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste until combined and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add in can of San Marzano tomatoes and crush (I just use my hands to lightly crush them). Then add in the fresh thyme and salt.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the seared mini meatballs back in. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- While the sauce is cooking, go ahead and cook the pasta according to package directions. Make sure you heavily salt the water and cook the pasta for about 1-2 minutes less than the listed time for perfect al dente pasta!
- Before draining, scoop out about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Then drain the pasta (but do NOT rinse it).
- Add the al dente pasta and pasta water to the sauce and toss gently to combine for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up and coats the noodles.
- Stir in the fresh basil, then taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Serve the spaghetti o's and mini meatballs with a garnish of parmesan and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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