If you loved SpaghettiO’s as a kid but want something homemade to serve your family, my version has perfectly al dente pasta with tender mini meatballs in a rich and creamy tomato sauce that you will love! It comes together in one pan for easy cleanup and you’ll love it even more than the canned version.

A pan of homemade spaghettios with meatballs.

My husband didn’t grow up with SpaghettiOs but I did. I loved them as a kid although it was a special treat since my mom didn’t buy them very often. But just like my homemade hamburger helper recipe, this copycat spaghettios recipe is even better than the original.

I have made this recipe a bunch of times with some of the variations mentioned in the notes below like swapping lean ground beef for ground chicken and using half-and-half in place of heavy cream to lighten things up a bit. Whether you make the more indulgent version or opt to swap some leaner protein options, this recipe sticks the landing every time.

Tender, juicy mini meatballs are pan-seared, then simmered in chicken broth with “O”-shaped pasta until perfectly tender. Then we add some marinara sauce (storebought is fine for this one!) and half-and-half or heavy cream with some spices and cheese, and voila! You’ve got a nostalgia filled meal that everybody loves.

Serve it with a crisp caesar salad and some garlic bread and you are set for dinner! I often double this recipe to have plenty of leftovers for lunchboxes the next day (my kids love taking a thermos full of this over a sandwich).

Here’s What You’ll Need:

Ground Beef: This gives the most traditional meaty meatball flavor, but I also like this with ground chicken or ground bison.
Marinara Sauce: I’m all about homemade but Rao’s marinara is pretty darn fantastic and makes prep quicker and easier for this dish (not sponsored – just sharing the brand I keep in the pantry and use for my own family). You can use your favorite marinara sauce or I have a simple version in the notes below.
Pasta: It’s not really spaghettiOs without the “O’s” but you could use orzo pasta, elbow macaroni noodles, or another small pasta instead. I can find these at specialty markets or just order them online.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated makes such a big difference.
Dairy: You can use evaporated milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream to add a richness to the sauce that sets it apart from regular old spaghetti.
Herbs & Spices: A combination of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and dried parsley give a classic Italian-American boost to the flavor profile.
Breadcrumbs: Just plain, traditional breadcrumbs work great to make tender juicy meatballs.
Eggs: Helps with binding the meatballs so they don’t fall apart and crumble when searing.
Onion: Adds so much flavor!
Salt & Pepper: Taste the sauce before adding more of these at the end, because often the Parmesan cheese adds enough saltiness on its own.

An image of ingredients for making homemade spaghettios with meatballs.

Step-By-Step Overview

Mix. This is my kids favorite job. They can help squish the meatball ingredients together. Just don’t overwork this mixture which can result in tough, dry meatballs. You’re just squishing ground beef, spices, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, finely minced onion, and egg together until combined.
Shape. You can make these meatballs as big or small as you like, but mini is better with the “O’s” in my experience. I use my smallest scooper which is about 1-2 teaspoons for each meatballs. Roll the mixture between the palms of your hands to make the adorable little meatballs and set them aside.

An image of ingredients for homemade meatballs in a bowl.

Sear. Working in batches, if necessary, sear the meatballs in a drizzle of oil just until browned on all sides, turning them occasionally. They don’t even need to cook through all the way at this point (but because they are so small it’s pretty easy to do that, which is fine).
Simmer. Add the chicken broth and pasta, bringing the liquid to a strong simmer. Cook the pasta until just al dente (about 8 minutes). Do not drain the liquid! Some of it will have been absorbed by the pasta but the remaining liquid is needed for the sauce.

Browned mini meatballs in a large skillet.

A large skillet with mini meatballs, chicken broth, and pasta.

Finish. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and parmesan cheese, then simmer another 5 minutes until slightly thickened. The sauce will continue to thicken as the spaghettios cool, so don’t worry if it seems pretty thin at first. You can also simmer longer if you want it less saucy, or add a splash of water to thin it out if it thickens too much later.

An overhead image of freshly grated parmesan cheese, marinara, and cream being added to a pan of meatballs and pasta.

Serve. You can serve this with extra parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top. It’s fantastic with a green salad and some garlic bread or other crusty bread for sopping up any leftover sauce.

An overhead image of a large pan of homemade spaghettios next to spoons and white bowls.

Recipe Tips

Don’t manhandle the meatball mixture. Overworking everything together is what makes meatballs tough and dry, instead of juicy and tender.
Adjust seasoning as needed. Wait to add any salt or pepper to the sauce until the very end. Parmesan adds a decent amount of saltiness on its own. You can also add fresh basil, if you like, or more of the Italian seasoning.
Cook the pasta until just al dente. Because you continue cooking the pasta and meatballs after adding the marinara sauce and other ingredients, they will continue to soften and absorb liquid. So even if they are a little firm at first, they will continue to soften. You don’t want to overcook and have them turn to mush.

A side angle view of homemade spaghettios in a large skillet.

Storing

Let any leftovers cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, you can microwave individual portions or reheat on the stovetop by adding a splash of water to thin out the sauce as needed.

You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw before reheating.