Homemade Spaghettios with Mini Meatballs

My homemade spaghettios with mini meatballs are a scrumptious take on a whimsical, childhood favorite that both kids and adults will love to dig into. Made with tender anellini pasta rings, folded together with juicy mini beef meatballs in a savory tomato sauce, this homemade spaghettios recipe is brimming with loads of mouthwatering flavor and lots of coziness!

A Gourmet, Homemade Take on Spaghettios

Some of my fondest memories from kindergarten are of lunchtime with my little friend Gregory...

Gregory would bring a thermos of warm spaghettios from home at least a few time a week, and I thought that was the neatest thing!

His was such a different lunch from my sandwich lunch (and most other kid's), which seemed to pale in comparison.

Gregory would pull out his thermos, the kind with the twist-on plastic cup attached at the top, open up that thermos and pour in the steaming spaghettios, then dig in with his little spoon.

And since I had never had spaghettios at that point, I thought they were such a neat and unique lunch to bring, and they looked so warm and cozy too!

I remember asking my mom if I could get a can or two of spaghettios from the store to try them out for myself. And while I thought they were OK, I realized that they weren't quite as scrumptious as Gregory made them look, and a bit too sweet for my little tastebuds.

All these years later, reminiscing about being five years old and in kindergarten, and having lunch with my little friends (and those spaghettios!), I thought this would be a fun recipe to play around with, and make my own version of spaghettios with the flavors that I find delicious.

My homemade spaghettios recipe tastes a little more gourmet, but is very easy and fun to make.

It comes complete with tender and juicy mini beef meatballs, a savory and silky tomato sauce kissed with parmesan, garlic and herbs, all folded together with those tender little pasta rings—anellini—which, of course, put the “O” in spaghettios.

They're a delicious, whimsical and homemade blast-from-the-past that kids of ALL ages will find cozy and comforting!

My Recipe for Homemade Spaghettios with Mini Meatballs

I love that this spaghettios recipe has organic and wholesome ingredients that I can feel good about enjoying, without all the excess sweetness that I've never been fond of in the canned version.

I start with organic, grass-fed, lean ground beef for the mini meatballs, and season it with dried herbs, garlic and parmesan for great flavor.

For the yummy sauce, I opt for organic canned tomato sauce to keep with that smooth and silky texture that the traditional spaghettios sauce has.

I add some finely minced onion and a good amount of garlic to mine, along with olive oil, plus dried and fresh herbs, and another finishing sprinkle of grated parmesan.

And for the pasta...?

Well, you've gotta have tiny, ring shaped pasta here, because that's what makes spaghettios, spaghettios!

An so, for the pasta I use anellini (sometimes called anelli), and I buy it online if I can't find it in the markets. It cooks up pretty quickly, and I really love the texture of it when combined with the sauce and the meatballs—so tasty!

Here's a sneak peek at my homemade spaghettios with mini meatballs recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I make my meatball mixture and scoop out tiny portions of the beef to make mini meatballs (you can use a ½ tablespoon size scoop, or a slightly generous melon ball size scoop). I then chill the meatballs in the freeze to help firm them up a bit.
2. While the meatballs chill, I cook my anellini pasta just until tender, then drain it and keep it warm.
3. Next, I sear off my meatballs just until browned on the outside, then set those aside for a moment.
4. I make my tomato sauce, then add the meatballs into the sauce and allow things to simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
5. Once the sauce has simmered, I add in my herbs and parmesan cheese, and fold in my warm pasta rings to combine everything, then serve hot with extra parmesan, if desired.

Recipe

Homemade Spaghettios with Mini Meatballs

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These homemade spaghettios with mini meatballs are brimming with loads of savory flavor, made with healthy, organic ingredients!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian-American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 636 calories (per serving)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Spaghettios Ingredients:

• 12 ounces uncooked anellini (or anelli) pasta
• Olive oil
• 1 small, white onion, finely minced
• 6 large cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3 (15 ounce) cans organic tomato sauce
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup freshly-grated parmesan (parmigiano-reggiano), plus extra for serving

Mini Meatballs Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 pound ground beef (85/15 ratio, preferably organic and grass-fed)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoons black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (parmigiano-reggiano)
• 1 egg, whisked

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping your mini meatball ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To make the mini meatballs, add the breadcrumbs and the milk to a large bowl, and mix with your fingers to moisten the breadcrumbs.
3. Next, crumble the ground beef in, and add to this the salt, pepper, garlic, grated parmesan and whisked egg, and using your clean hands, combine everything well to incorporate. Portion out small, roughly 2 teaspoon amounts of the beef mixture (about ½ ounce) into mini meatballs (you can use a melon baller or small scoop), and gently roll. Place onto a platter to hold, and once all mini meatballs are rolled, chill in fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to firm.
4. While the meatballs chill, cook your pasta according to package instructions, cooking to al dente. Drain and keep warm.
5. Once chilled, in a large, deep skillet, pan or Dutch oven, add a drizzle of olive oil and sear the meatballs in a couple of batches for several minutes, until browned on all sides (they do not need to be cooked through). Remove the meatballs from the pan, and hold for a moment.
6. Next, to the same pan, add a little more olive oil, then add in the minced onion and saute for a few moment just until softened. Add in the garlic and the Italian seasoning, and mix to incorporate.
7. Then, add in the tomato sauce, plus a couple of generous pinches of salt and pepper to taste, and nestle the mini meatballs into the sauce. Allow the sauce and meatballs to gently simmer, uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Once the the sauce has simmered, fold in the chopped parsley and grated parmesan, as well as the warm pasta, until thoroughly combined and saucy.
9. Serve while hot with extra grated parmesan on the side, if desired.

Tips & Tidbits for my Homemade Spaghettios with Mini Meatballs recipe:

• Lean, organic and grass-fed ground beef: If you can, opt for organic and grass-fed ground beef here, for best flavor and better health benefits. I use either 85/15 ratio, which still has some fat, and yields nice tender mini meatballs that are vey savory and flavorful.
• Good quality canned tomato sauce, for a silky, smooth sauce: Canned, organic tomato sauce is the way to go here, and creates that rich, smooth and silky consistency that classic spaghettios have. There's already some light, natural sweetness in the sauce, so no added sugar is needed.
• Anellini (or anelli) pasta rings for that classic spaghettios look: I love the texture of this type of pasta once it's cooked and a little bit al dente—it makes these homemade spaghettios so pleasurable to spoon up and eat! And if you can't find these at the market, you easily find them online.

Craving more cozy and comforting pasta recipes? Check out my recipe for Beefaroni, Italian Drunken Noodles, Gemelli Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Bucatini Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce, or my recipe for Pasta Puttanesca!