Spaghetti-Os are one of those childhood meals that sticks with you, you know? You have them a bunch as a kid, but they fall out of favor as you get older. There’s just better food around, and your tastes expand, and you just don’t think about them as anything other than kids food.
Well, I like to try to go back to some of these old favorites, and make either copycat versions, or adult versions of them. In this case, I went for an adult version, since I do love me some pasta.
The hardest part of this recipe, honestly, is going to be finding the pasta. You want the iconic Os, which is Anellini. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t find it locally anywhere. I ended up having to order some online. Specifically, I ordered this brand (that’s an Amazon affiliate link; if you buy a box, I’ll earn a small commission.) My recipe uses about 2/3rds of a box, so it will make you a batch of O’s just fine.
Other than that, this is a fairly typical pasta dish. You make some meatballs with ground beef, bread crumbs, and seasonings, you make a pasta sauce with tomato paste and broth, and you throw it all together. The end result is a tasty, but more sophisticated than the canned stuff, version of spaghetti-os.
Adult Spaghetti-Os
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Silicone Baking Mat
- Dutch Oven
- Mixing Bowls
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb Ground Beef 80/20 works best.
- ½ Cup Breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbsp Whole Milk
- 1 Egg Beaten
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese Grated
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- t Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
For the Pasta and Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- ½ Tbsp Oregano
- ⅓ Cup Tomato Paste
- 4 Cups Beef Broth
- 2 Cups Anellini Pasta
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Pepper
- ½ Tsp Paprika
- 1½ Cups Parmesan Cheese Grated
- ½ Cup Fresh Basil Chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉. Line your baking sheet with your silpat in preparation for the meatballs.
- Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, Parmesan, garlic, Italian spices, salt, and onion powder in a mixing bowl. Mix until it comes together.1 lb Ground Beef, ½ Cup Breadcrumbs, 3 Tbsp Whole Milk, 1 Egg, 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, 2 Cloves Garlic, t Tsp Italian Seasoning, 1 Tsp Salt, 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- Roll bits of the meat mixture into balls about half an inch across. I prefer them on the smaller side, but you can make them larger if you prefer; just remember to cook them all the way through. Arrange them on your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake your meatballs for 10 minutes or so, checking the internal temperature for doneness.
- In your dutch oven, melt the butter, and mix in the olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Cook this over medium heat for about five minutes, careful not to burn the butter.2 Tbsp Butter, 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, 3 Cloves Garlic, ½ Tbsp Oregano
- Reduce the heat to low and add in the tomato paste, stirring and cooking for another couple of minutes. Then, add the beef broth and increase the heat to high.⅓ Cup Tomato Paste, 4 Cups Beef Broth
- Once the broth mixture is boiling, add in the pasta, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring the heat down to medium and stir frequently until the pasta is done to your preferred level of cook for pasta, about 15-20 minutes.2 Cups Anellini Pasta, 1 Tsp Onion Powder, ½ Tsp Salt, ½ Tsp Pepper, ½ Tsp Paprika
- Once the pasta is done, add in the Parmesan cheese, basil, and meatballs. Mix until the cheese is melted, then serve and enjoy!1½ Cups Parmesan Cheese, ½ Cup Fresh Basil