A quick and easy family favorite, this SpaghettiOs with meatballs is a pasta dish that both kids and adults will love. It’s saucy, creamy, and packed with flavor, while also being easy to adapt to your family’s tastes and suitable for babies under 12 months following the BLW method. Enjoy!
This SpaghettiOs with meatballs is the perfect midweek meal. It comes together in less than an hour, and everything cooks in just one pan for easy cleanup. I’m using ground turkey for the meatballs, but you can use any ground meat you prefer and adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s taste.
The dish is creamy, comforting, and full of flavor. Pair it with some steamed vegetables or a fresh salad, and you’ll have a balanced meal with protein, fiber, and carbohydrates that the whole family will love.
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👩🏻🍳 Why you should try my recipe
- Great for the whole family to enjoy.
- Ready in less than an hour.
- Protein and iron rich.
- Adjustable for babies under 12 months.
🥘 Ingredients
To make the meatballs, we are going to use ground meat, breadcrumbs, milk, vinegar, olive oil and some spices.
- Ground Meat: I’m using ground turkey, but you can use any ground meat you prefer, such as ground beef, ground chicken, or even a combination like half beef and half turkey.
- Breadcrumbs: When making meatballs or patties, I like to use plain breadcrumbs or stale bread, as they help absorb excess moisture and keep the meatballs nicely together. If you’re using store-bought breadcrumbs, be sure to check the ingredient list for added flavorings and salt, especially if you’re preparing the recipe for babies (low sodium).
- Spices: To make these meatballs tasty, I'm adding a mix of spices: onion powder, garlic powder, dried herbs, salt and black pepper.
- Vinegar: I'm using a little bit of red or white vinegar to balance the flavors.
The rest of the ingredients we are going to need to complete this spaghettiOs with meatballs dish are anelli pasta rings, olive oil, butter, tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, half & half or single cream, black pepper and salt.
- Pasta rings: I’m using anelli pasta rings but you could also use other types of small pasta if it's difficult to find pasta rings.
- Tomatoes: To get that nice tomato flavor and color, I'm using a combination of tomato paste and passata or crushed tomatoes. The tomato paste gives the dish a strong tomato flavor and the tomatoes are to make a delicious sauce.
- Half & half: This is added to make the sauce a bit creamier. You could also use single cream or just whole milk.
For full quantities and to print the recipe, see the recipe card below.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
So get your ingredients ready and let's get started!
01. To prepare the meatballs mixture, I add all the ingredients to a bowl: the ground turkey, seasoning, breadcrumbs, vinegar and milk.
02. I gently knead all the ingredients for 3-4 minutes until well combined and refrigerate for 10 minutes to get all the flavors blended.
03. When the meatball mixture is ready, I take a small portion and roll it into a ball. I like to make the meatballs smaller than traditional ones so they mix better with the pasta and are easier to eat together.
04. In a food processor, I add the crushed tomatoes, the peeled onion cut into quarters, and the peeled garlic cloves. I blend everything until there are no large pieces of onion or garlic left. You can also dice the onion and finely chop the garlic by hand, but the sauce won’t be as smooth as it is when blended.
05. Moving on to the pan, I start by searing the meatballs. I add a little olive oil to a heated pan and cook the meatballs for 4–5 minutes, turning them occasionally to get a nice golden color on all sides.
06. Next, I remove the meatballs from the pan and add the tomato paste and butter. I cook the tomato paste for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to bring out its rich flavor and aroma.
07. I add the blended tomatoes, onion and garlic to the pan and add the pasta rings and some water. I like to start with two cups of water and add half or one more later on as needed.
08. After adding the pasta rings to the pan, I return the meatballs and let everything cook together for about 25–30 minutes. The pasta is added uncooked and cooks directly in the sauce, releasing its starches as it cooks and making the sauce even creamier.
09. I keep stirring the pot every now and then to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom. You might need to add a little bit more water as it cooks.
10. After about 30 minutes, the pasta should be cooked al dente. I then add the half-and-half or cream to the pan and stir to combine. Next, I turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. During this time, the pasta absorbs any excess liquid and finishes cooking gently, helping the pasta rings hold their shape without breaking apart.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
For a complete meal, we like to serve these SpaghettiOs with meatballs alongside some steamed or boiled vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower, or a fresh salad for extra fiber and a more balanced plate.
If you're preparing this dish for babies under 12 months, simply leave out the salt when making the meatballs and cooking the pasta. You can always add salt to the individual servings for older kids and adults. To make the meatballs easier for babies following the BLW method, you can either cut them in half or make them slightly larger so they’re easier to hold and bite.
🧰 Storage
If you have any leftovers of the SpaghettiOs with meatballs, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3–4 days.
To reheat, add a couple of tablespoons of water and warm in a pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until heated through.
❓ FAQ
Yes, you could use any short pasta you like, but you might have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Some nice alternatives are orzo, ditallini or stelline.
If you tried my spaghettiOs with meatballs recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📋 Recipe
Homemade SpaghettiOs With Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 12 oz ground turkey (or beef or chicken)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried herbs
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs (plain)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Pasta & Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup crushed tomatoes or passata
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup half & half
- salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Meatballs
- To prepare the meatballs, add all the ingredients to a bowl.
- Knead the ingredients for 2–3 minutes, until well combined. Then refrigerate the mixture for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and make it easier to shape.
- Shape into little balls about half the size of a golfball and set aside.
Sauce & Pasta
- In a food processor, add the crushed tomatoes, peeled onion cut into quarters and peeled garlic cloves. Blend until no big pieces are left.
- Place a pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and when hot, add the meatballs. Sear for 4-5 minutes, turning around to get a nice color all around.
- Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside for later.
- Add the tomato paste and butter to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes to get the tomato flavor out.
- Add the blended tomatoes with the onion and 2 cups of water to the pan. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add the uncooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine. Place the meatballs in the sauce.
- Cook in medium heat for 25-30 minutes until the pasta is cooked al dente. Add ½-1 more cup of water as needed.
- When the pasta is nearly cooked, add the half & half to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Rest for 10 minutes so the pasta absorbs any excess liquid and finishes cooking gently.
Notes
- You could use ground turkey or ground beef or mixed ground meat.
- You could use passata or crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce.
- For babies under 12 months, leave out the salt and add it when serving older kids and adults.
- Serve the spaghettiOs with meatballs with some grated cheese and some veggies or salad on the side for a balanced meal.
Nutrition
🥣 More to try
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