Homemade Spaghetti O's with Mini Meatballs

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!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 534kcal

Author Kyleigh Sage

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

US Customary - Metric

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

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.

Nutrition