Homemade One Pot Spaghettios and Meatballs

I love nostalgic meals, don’t you? There’s something so ultra-comforting about them. The memories combine with delicious flavors, and you have something truly special on the dinner table!

I know spaghettios and meatballs aren’t exactly a gourmet Italian-American dish, but they’ve been around since 1965, so they are still a favorite with children all these years later.

You could certainly fancy this recipe up if you’d like, but I tried to keep it pretty close to the original, so you have a semi-copycat that can also be a base recipe to play with!

What do I need to make this recipe?

• Beef – I like to use 80/20 or 85/15 for the best flavor while still being somewhat lean.
• Breadcrumbs – nothing fancy, just plain regular breadcrumbs, which help bind the meatballs together.
• Egg – this recipe was tested with a large egg.
• Garlic powder – if you’d rather use fresh garlic, use about 2 minced cloves.
• Onion powder – if you’d prefer to use fresh onion, I would use about 1 – 2 tsp of grated white or yellow onion. This ensures you don’t have big pieces of onion.
• Salt – I use kosher salt, which has less sodium per volume, so if you’re using another type, you may want to use a bit less.
• Pepper – just regular black pepper.
• Olive oil – this is for cooking the meatballs.
• Pasta – you can use any short cut of pasta that you like, such as mini penne, ditalini, or anellini if you want that classic “O” shape.
• Garlic – if you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use about 1 – 2 tsp of garlic paste (gourmet garden is a good brand).
• Tomato paste – this deepens the tomato flavor of the sauce.
• Tomato sauce – you can use any brand you’d like, I typically use Cento or Hunts as those are usually widely available.
• Chicken broth – I prefer to use reduced sodium, so I can control the amount of salt.
• Sugar – I know it may seem odd to have sugar in this recipe, but it’s to mimic the slightly sweet flavor of true spaghettios.
• Vinegar – I use apple cider vinegar, which cuts through all the richness and provides balance.
• Italian seasoning – this adds all the classic “spaghetti” flavors.
• Parmesan cheese – I like to use freshly grated Parmesan, but any kind will work.
• Parsley – this is a garnish, and completely optional.

How to make homemade one pot spaghettios and meatballs:

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Make meatballs. Combine meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands.
2. Roll. Use a small cookie scoop or your hands and roll into balls, about 1.5 – 2 Tbsp per meatball.
3. Sear meatballs. Do this in the same dutch oven or large pot you’ll be using for the rest of the recipe, so you have less dishes to wash.
4. Cook aromatics. This is the garlic, then the tomato paste. Cooking the paste like this allows it to deepen in flavor even more.
5. Add sauce ingredients. This is the tomato sauce, broth, sugar, vinegar, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
6. Cook pasta. Once the sauce is at a low boil, add the dried pasta and stir well. Simmer to cook the pasta, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
7. Add meatballs. They’ll simmer for another couple of minutes to finish cooking through.
8. Add cheese. Stir in the Parmesan.
9. Taste, adjust seasonings if needed, and serve.

Variations of this recipe

• Pasta – anellini can be challenging to find in grocery stores (at least here in the midwest), so I buy mine on amazon (link here). But if you wanted to use a different pasta shape, you could try ditalini or mini penne.
• Broth – you can use chicken or beef broth, whichever you have on hand. I do prefer using the reduced sodium variety, just so I’m in control of the salt content.
• Beef – if you’d prefer to use ground pork, a mix of beef and pork, or ground turkey, you can certainly do that.
• Seasoning amounts – as with any recipe, these are the spice and seasoning amounts that we like, and that I think mimics spaghettios, but you’re definitely free to add more or use less.

Making spaghettios ahead of time

I find that this dish tastes best when made fresh, but you can make it entirely ahead of time.

You can also prep ahead, which is my favorite thing to do.

• Meatballs – the meatballs can be assembled and refrigerated.
• Garlic – this can be minced and kept refrigerated.
• Spices – these can be measured and kept at room temperature.

Storage

Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 4 days or so.

I like to reheat them on the stovetop or in the microwave.

If the pasta has soaked up too much of the sauce, you can add a splash of chicken broth, tomato sauce, or water to loosen it up a bit.

Freezing

These spaghettios can also be frozen for longer storage!

Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator then reheat as desired.