THIS POST IS IN COLLABORATION WITH HEINEN’S GROCERY. AS A HEINEN’S CONTRIBUTOR I AM SO EXCITED TO SHARE MY RECIPES WITH YOU ALL!
Dare I mention that I would eat Spaghettio’s straight out of can if you asked me too! AH!
There is something about Spaghettio’s that transports me back to my kitchen table as a kid, when my mom was swamped with working two jobs and she felt awful serving us this quick-dish. Not knowing that we, as kids were thrilled to have this indulgent pasta from a can. Sure, it wasn’t her home-cooked meals she would make everynight, but that’s what made it feel like a treat!
This knock-off spaghetti’s and mini meatball recipe is done in under 20 minutes, and is so fresh and light!
The sauce and meatballs cook in the same pot, making it wicked fast and makes the most delicious sauce. For the pasta, I used Ditalini, but you can use any itty-bitty pasta – think tiny shells, mini bow ties etc.
The boys have late hockey nights, so this was a great dish to make while they were away, and I popped it into the oven at 200* to keep it warm!
Spaghettio’s from Scratch
- 1 box of Ditalini Pasta ( or tiny shells would be great too!)
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped finely
- 2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 28oz Tomato Puree
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup Pasta Water (Reserved)
Meatballs
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Mild Italian Sausage
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 3 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp Milk
A few simple steps to get going when you start, and the rest is smooth sailing –
1. In a large bowl, mix together all of the meatball ingredients with your hands. Really work the spices and additions into the meat to make sure it is fully incorporated.
Take about 2 tsp worth of meat and roll into tiny meatballs, place on a plate and set to the side.
2. Next, get a pot going to boil the water for the pasta!
3. Let’s start the sauce! In a second large pot, or dutch oven, oven medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic. Let this cook for about 3-4 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
4. Add the meatballs in a single layer over the melted butter and onions. Let them sit and gently brown for a few minutes, and then gently turn them over to brown on the other side. They will be fragile until they brown so be careful.
5. Once the meatballs have browned, add the tomato paste, tomato puree, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Give it a good stir and put the lid on to let the meatballs finish cooking over medium heat for 10 minutes.
6. Your water should be boiling by now, so add in the pasta and cook according to package! Before draining, reserve one cup of pasta water to thin out the tomato sauce in the next step, and set the pasta to the side.
7. Once 10 minutes is up, the meatballs will be cooked through in the sauce.
8.. ADD the ditalini pasta to the tomato sauce and gently fold everything together. That is it!
9. ADD one cup of the reserved pasta water to the tomato sauce and stir to thin it out.
Serve with extra minced parsley and parmesan cheese –
