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Homemade spaghettios feature fun o-shaped pasta is tossed in your favorite marinara sauce with tender chicken pesto meatballs. This homemade recipe turns a canned childhood classic into an elevated grown-up pasta dish that’s all made from scratch.
Oh, oh, oh: Homemade Spaghettios!
GenZ or younger probably don’t know the catchy phrase, “uh oh spaghettios!” Us millennials and older definitely remember the commercials and the begging at the grocery store we’d do for our parents to buy us canned spaghettios, haha
Indulging in this childhood classic is every bit as satisfying as finding your old CD collection, but let me put a spin on it for you. Make these spaghettios from scratch and toss in some protein and you’ll never look back at the canned spaghettios that are made with no-so-great ingredients. Homemade spaghettios are the way to go!
Real deal spaghettios
The pasta shape is what gives these homemade spaghettios their iconic look. I had to source these o-shaped pasta rings on Amazon. If you prefer to use another pasta that is readily available, try using ditalini in its place.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Use your favorite high-quality marinara sauce in this recipe. The star of the show is going to be the sauce since it’s a pretty simple recipe so you’ll want something flavorful and high quality to make the dish shine. My favorite brands of marinara sauce are Rao’s, Carbone, and Trader Joe’s.
- You can choose to make the pesto chicken meatballs in this recipe or make my Greek chicken meatballs instead.
- Add a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half to make the sauce extra decadent and creamy!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow leftovers to cool before storing in an airtight container. The spaghettios will be good for 4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, reheat in a pot on the stovetop or a microwave-safe bowl. To loosen up the sauce a bit, add a splash of water or broth.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve homemade spaghettios with a caesar salad or honey butter rolls. If you want to load up on vegetables, roasted parmesan carrots and/or roasted garlic brussels sprouts are a favorite in our household!
Homemade Spaghettios
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 g) ground chicken
- 2 ½ tablespoons basil pesto, or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups (168 g) uncooked O-shaped pasta
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) marinara sauce, or more
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine chicken, pesto, panko, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix with hands until uniform. Using a heaping teaspoon, lightly shape mixture into 3/4 inch round meatballs (about 28 meatballs).6 ounces (170 g) ground chicken, 2 1/2 tablespoons basil pesto, 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Place meatballs on prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until meatballs are just cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Cook pasta in a large pot according to directions on the package. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain well then add pasta back into the large pot.2 cups (168 g) uncooked O-shaped pasta
- Add marinara sauce to the pot along with the meatballs and stir to incorporate. If the mixture is too thick, use the reserved pasta water to thin it out, ¼ cup at a time until desired consistency.1 1/2 cups (355 ml) marinara sauce
- Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, and serve with fresh parmesan cheese on top and fresh basil.
Nutrition
Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography
Does this sauce taste like actual Spaghetti O’s sauce?
No, it will taste like the marinara sauce you choose to use for the base of the sauce. Someone mentioned below to use Campbell’s tomato soup instead if you want it to taste like actual spaghettio’s sauce. The idea of this recipe is to elevate it from the childhood canned version and make it a little bit better for you, but understand the nostalgia behind the original flavor.
if you want THE same taste from childhood, try using Campbells’ Tomato soup instead of the pasta sauce. It’s cheaper also. (Campbells’ makes both)