PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
These SpaghettiOs and meatballs mimic the canned pasta-and-marinara delight you loved as a kid, but with sophisticated upgrades for adult flavor preferences. (Don’t worry, it’s still kid-approved.) Most copycat SpaghettiOs recipes ignore one crucial ingredient: cheddar cheese. Cheddar is actually quite essential to the end result, so we added a generous amount, plus a bit of Parm for a touch of class.
The classic SpaghettiOs meatball is made with pork, chicken, and beef. Since we are cooking in a smaller quantity—and it can be difficult to buy small amounts of ground meat—we went with all-beef meatballs. If you want to try a variation, just use 1/2 pound ground beef and split the rest between ground chicken and/or pork.
PS Blending the whole-peeled tomatoes is an extra step, but well worth it to get that perfect texture for the sauce.
Check out some of our other favorite copycat recipes that re-create beloved classics: Starbucks Caramel Frappuccinos, IHOP Pancakes, Crunchwrap Supremes, and Big Macs.
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Yields:
6 – 8
servings
Prep Time:
0
hours
10
mins
Total Time:
0
hours
45
mins
anelletti or other small round pasta, such as ditalini
(28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes
(90% lean) ground beef chuck
panko bread crumbs
extra virgin olive oil
cloves garlic, finely chopped
(8-oz.) can tomato sauce
granulated sugar
shredded cheddar (about 4 oz.)
grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
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- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Transfer pasta to a medium bowl; reserve pot.
- Meanwhile, in a blender, blend tomatoes until smooth; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine beef, panko, egg, oregano, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roll into roughly 1″ balls and arrange on a plate.
- In same large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 4 to 6 minutes. Return meatballs to plate and wipe any excess oil from pot.
- In same pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add reserved blended tomatoes, tomato sauce, granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to combine.
- Return meatballs to pot with sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, half-and-half, and Parmesan until combined and melted. Add pasta and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time to thin sauce, if needed.
- Divide pasta and meatballs among bowls. Top with more Parmesan.
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PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
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