These are extra saucy and a little sweet like the original SpaghettiOs, but with grown-up flavors all around.
Recipe information
Yield
4 to 6 Servings
Ingredients
2
¼
1
½
¼
¼
1
5
1
2
½
1
2
2
1
4
12
Preparation
Step 1
Purée tomatoes in a food processor until mostly smooth; there should still be some dime-sized pieces remaining. Set aside.
Step 2
Whisk panko, cheese, oregano, garlic powder, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, and 1½ tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in egg and cream. Add beef and mix with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork (if packed too firmly, meatballs will be dense). Form into 1"-diameter balls (you should have about 24); transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides but not fully cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to another plate.
Step 4
Cook onion and garlic in same skillet, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and begins to soften, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute. Add paprika and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sugar, basil, and reserved tomato purée. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced and flavors have melded, about 20 minutes. Add meatballs and any accumulated juices; continue to cook until meatballs are cooked through, 5–10 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and return to pasta pot. Pour sauce and meatballs over pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to a platter and top with cheese.
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Reviews (27)
Back to TopI tried this for a pot luck last week and it was awesome. I picked up stewed tomatoes by accident, and just went with the nostalgia aspect of the ingredient. I added some extra tomatoes and spices as I used a whole pound of pasta for the pot luck. There was barely a serving left for me to take home, and I'm thinking I'm going to make this again this week for dinner. I may sub some pasta already in the pantry to save a grocery store trip, but otherwise, I'll keep it the same. It was a delicious take on a childhood favorite.
Melissa
Salem, MA
8/9/2021
This was such a warm welcome to a nostalgic meal. Rounded out the ingredients a little bit to lower calories/bump up protein. Instead of two cans of tomatoes, used one 35 ounce can And added 2 cups of chicken bone broth. Subbed out 99% turkey for the beef, but added a bit of pesto for flavor and make sure it wasn’t too dry. Only used 8 ounces of Pasta. The entire family enjoyed this and it will definitely be making a return to the weeknight dinner table!
Jeni
Trumbull, CT
3/1/2021
I HATE Spaghetti-Os. I liked the idea of the meatballs, had no panko so subbed with a slice of low-cal whole wheat bread. It didn’t taste anything like Spaghetti-Os and instead made a tasty sauce with moist, tender meatballs that had picked up additional flavor from the sauce, which occurs when the meatballs are added before they’re cooked through. Yummm.
munch88
NYC
4/27/2020
Yummy! I couldn't tell you if it tastes like Spaghettio's, but the recipe is definitely worth a make. Not that it matters a lot, but I got 28 meatballs out of the mixture.
Anonymous
4/7/2020
These do taste surprisingly like Spaghetti-O's! Because the stores are fresh out of pasta, I used the whole-wheat rotini I had in my pantry. It came together just fine. While the sauce did taste like Spaghetti-O's, I was reminded that I'm actually not obsessed with Spaghetti-O's. It's a lot of work and a lot of dishes to blend the tomatoes for a sauce that doesn't blow my mind, but there might be a time and place to make this again.
KalzoneCount
Ann Arbor, MI
3/30/2020
This was really really good. Made this dish for the first time with the intention of having leftovers but we ate it all immediately- whoops. Excellent recipe, sugar man!
Mckaminer
Houston, TX
3/20/2020
hubbs loved this. i added greek oregano and fresh rosemary to the sauce. I had leftover meatballs from something else. love the paprika.
jenniferwasson
California
1/23/2020