UH OH SPAGHETTI-OS. Did I just make you the most delicious, easy, better-for-you homemade spaghetti-os recipe? Yes, yes I did. They’re so delicious that I made them for Episode 7 of Good Mood Comfort Food, and even included the BEST mini pesto turkey meatballs from my cookbook!
If you’re also a parent, you know very well that kids always go through phases of what they do and don’t like to eat (oh the joys of guessing what’s next). So over the past few years since I’ve had my 3 boys, I’ve loved bringing back classic childhood recipes with an Ambitious Kitchen twist. After my kiddos and tons of AK readers fell in love with my Lightened Up Hamburger Helper last year, I knew these spaghetti-os were a must-make for the blog.
I’m always trying to sneak in veggies wherever possible for a boost of nutrition, and pasta sauce is the perfect way to do so. These homemade cheesy spaghetti-os have a creamy roasted red pepper sauce that will have the whole family licking their bowls clean. Enjoy as is for the perfect meatless meal, and check out the full post for easy ways to add your fav proteins!
What makes these spaghetti-os a little healthier?
Listen, I’m all about indulging in those nostalgic childhood favorite recipes. But what if I told you there was a way to make them even more nutritious AND taste better?! Traditional spaghetti-os from the can have lots of extra ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil, and “enzyme modified cheddar cheese,” while my homemade spaghettios recipe uses simple ingredients like herbs, spices, veggies, a little cream, and real parmesan cheese.
Plus, there are tons of ways to add extra protein without heating up the canned spaghetti-os with hot dogs in them!
Everything you’ll need to make homemade spaghetti-os
These healthy spaghetti-os are packed with sneaky veggies and wonderful flavors from a few key herbs and spices. They’re creamy, dreamy, and about 1000x better than the ones you grew up on! Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Vegetables: the base of the spaghetti-os sauce is made with roasted yellow onion, red bell pepper, and a head of garlic. It adds an incredible depth of flavor you didn’t know you needed! You’ll roast the veggies with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Broth: feel free to use low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth for the sauce and cooking the pasta.
- Herbs & spices: before cooking your pasta, you’ll cook down some tomato paste, red pepper flakes, sweet paprika, and oregano in a little olive oil. You’ll also need salt to taste in this dish. Feel free to omit the red pepper flakes if you’re serving kiddos or are sensitive to spice.
- Cream: we’re adding heavy cream to the pasta for a touch of richness and creaminess.
- Pasta: I like to use Anelli or Anellini pasta (small pasta rings) to keep the nostalgia of traditional spaghetti-os.
- Sugar: a little sugar is optional, but it helps make these taste like the original spaghetti-os. No high fructose corn syrup here!
- Cheese: stir in fresh grated parmesan cheese for extra savory goodness.
- To garnish: I like to top mine with fresh basil, extra parmesan, and red pepper flakes.
Can I make them gluten free or vegan?
- To make gluten free: simply use your favorite gluten-free short pasta shape.
- To make vegan: be sure to use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, then swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk from the can, and use your favorite vegan cheese or omit the parmesan cheese.
Our favorite ways to boost the protein
We love serving these kid-friendly spaghetti-os with grilled Italian sausage or meatballs! Try mixing in my mini pesto meatballs (you can cook them in the same pan and set them aside for later) or my Greek turkey meatballs.
Don’t forget to prep the garlic
You’ll be roasting a whole head of garlic with the onion and bell pepper to get lots of delicious roasted garlic cloves in the sauce. To do so:
- Use a sharp knife to cut 1/4 inch off from the top of the cloves so that the cloves are exposed.
- Place the garlic head in a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil.
- Loosely wrap the garlic head and place it on the pan with the veggies.
How to make homemade spaghetti-os
- Roast the veggies. Start by roasting the onion, bell pepper, and garlic with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, flipping halfway through until they’re golden and tender.
- Make the sauce. Let the veggies cool, then place the onion and bell pepper in a high-powered blender. Remove the garlic head from the foil and carefully squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the blender. Add broth and blend it all up until smooth.
- Cook the herbs & spices. Cook down the tomato paste, herbs, and spices in a little olive oil to eliminate any acidity from the tomato paste and deepen the flavors.
- Cook the pasta. Stir in more broth, heavy cream, roasted veggie sauce, and salt. Stir in the pasta, bring it to a simmer, and cook uncovered until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed. Feel free to add more cream or broth as needed.
- Add cheese, taste & serve. Fold in the parmesan cheese, then taste the pasta and add more salt and sugar if you’d like. Top with your fav garnishes and enjoy!
Storing tips
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave, adding a splash of milk or broth as needed to keep them creamy.
More comfort food recipes you’ll love
- One Pan Lightened Up Hamburger Helper
- Cozy Roasted Vegetable Butternut Squash Lasagna
- Blow Ya Mind Cheddar Broccoli Chicken Pot Pie
- One Pan Tomato Basil Baked Orzo
- Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Get all of my comfort food recipes here!
I hope you love these better-for-you spaghetti-os! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Good Mood Comfort Food
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Better-For-You Homemade Spaghetti-Os
Ingredients
- For the roasted veggie sauce:
- 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper, halved and seeds removed
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head garlic
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- For the pasta:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)*
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or light or full fat coconut milk (from the can)
- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or sub vegetable broth), plus more as necessary
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups Anelli pasta (or sub another short pasta such as dilitani)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon sugar, to make it taste more like spaghetti-os!
- ½ cup (about 2 ounces) grated parmesan cheese
- To garnish:
- Fresh julienned basil
- Extra grated parm
- Extra red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roast the veggies: Add the onion and red bell pepper and zucchini (if using) to the sheet pan, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper; toss to combine. For the garlic: peel and discard the outer papery layers of the whole garlic head. Leave the skins intact of the individual cloves. Using a sharp knife, cut ¼ inch off from the top of the cloves so that the individual cloves of garlic are exposed. Place garlic in a medium piece of foil and drizzle the top of the garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then loosely wrap in the foil and place on the pan with the veggies. Roast veggies and garlic for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until veggies are nice and golden, tender and caramelized. This and step 2 can be done a day or two ahead of time if you'd like!
- Blend the sauce: After the veggies are done cooking, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a high powered blender. For the garlic: discard the foil around the garlic. Use your hands to squeeze the roasted garlic from the skin into the blender with the veggies. Add ½ cup of broth then blend on medium high speed until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta: Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once oil is warm, stir in the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, paprika, Italian seasoning and oregano for 1 minute until it turns a deep red/brown color and toasts. This will eliminate any acidic taste and caramelize the sugars in the tomato sauce to deepen the flavors. Next, stir in the broth, heavy cream (or coconut milk), roasted veggie sauce, and salt until well combined. Lastly stir in the pasta and bring to a simmer; you’ll cook UNCOVERED, stirring frequently until the pasta is nice and tender, about 12 to 16 minutes and most of the liquid (but not all!) is absorbed. If the pasta absorbs too much liquid, you can add a splash or two of extra broth. You’ll want a little bit of liquid left to make the sauce nice and creamy. Remember you don’t need to have this over a roaring boil, just a gentle simmer. Also, be sure to stir frequently to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan!
- Add cheese and serve: Lastly stir in ½ cup parmesan cheese, then taste and add more salt if necessary. If you want these to taste sweeter like spaghetti-o’s stir in a tablespoon of sugar. Garnish with fresh basil, a little extra parm on top and extra red pepper flakes, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on January 1st, 2024, and republished on September 22nd, 2024.
54 comments
Cant wait to make this soon for me for the sauce and pasta can i use vegetable broth i never had better for you homemade spaghetti os before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day eveeryday after work
Yes, feel free to use vegetable broth!
Where do you find the anelli pasta? I only have found it in KC where I live at an Italian market 30mins from my house. Happy to order online, but want to make sure I get decent quality. This looks amazing and cannot wait to make it!
I usually get it on Amazon or at Whole Foods!
My picky eater loved this, so that’s huge win! Thank you
So happy to hear that!
I had just purchased a bag of Anelli pasta (thought it would be good for soup) at the Italian Market so I was excited to see this recipe (especially since i loved Spagetti-O’s as a kid)! I followed the recipe exactly, though I only had smoked paprika (sweet would have been much better), and used Coconut milk instead of heavy cream. I would probably omit the crushed red pepper flakes next time. The addition of the Tablespoon of sugar is a must!! One thing to note – cooking time was closer to 20 minutes for the pasta to be cooked and the sauce to thicken (electric range). I had frozen meatballs (also from Italian Market), so I threw those in for the protein and to make this a heartier meal. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch!!
I definitely recommend opting for sweet paprika for the best flavor! Glad it turned out well and great idea to add frozen meatballs 🙂
These look DELICIOUS!!! My husband does not like bell peppers. What vegetable do you recommend substituting instead of the bell pepper?
Hi! The bell pepper really just creates a depth of flavor that makes it taste like a sweeter tomato sauce, so I’d recommend keeping it! I doubt he’ll even be able to tell it’s bell pepper blended in there.
Made this recipe tonight for my family of five. My husband and I loved it and the baby too. Love sneaking vegetables into our meals. I think I might make a large batch of this sauce to freeze and keep handy for quick meals. Might try adding meat and veggies like peas next time. So many options! Thanks for another great recipe.
Great idea to freeze the sauce for later! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
Made this for dinner the other night and it was a hit! My 20 month old picky toddler LOVED this. Will be on rotation in our home for sure!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
What is the approximate weight measurement for the 2 cups of anelli pasta in case I have to substitute a dramatically different pasta shape?
Hi! It should be around 168 grams.
Thanks for this recipe! It was a hit with my 14 month old and I followed your suggestion of serving with your turkey pesto meatballs. We loved those too! I did omit red pepper flakes for both since I wasn’t sure if she’d tolerate them. I used ditalini noodles and they took closer to 20 minutes to finish cooking. I’ll definitely make this again!
Amazing! So glad you both enjoyed!
This was really delicious, I made a few adjustments (GF pasta, Ethiopian pepper blend) but the base of the recipe were easy to follow. Thanks again 🙂
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Great recipe idea! I was a huge SpaghettiOs fan as a child. This recipe is definitely an elevated version, with stronger flavors. I think the cook time on the onions could be a little bit less. My onions got a little bit blackened and it added some bitterness. My other feedback would be that if you don’t like Italian seasoning that much to go light on it. I wish I had put less in. On the instructions, I would say it looks really liquidy after the cook time allotted but if you leave it in the pot to sit for 10 minutes, it keeps absorbing the liquid, so don’t panic. I’m not sure my kids would be willing to eat this because the flavor is very strong of vegetables and spices, but I thought it was a great comforting winter meal.
Hi! Hmm I would make sure the onions are nice and coated with the olive oil. Does your oven temp run hot by chance? They should get nice and tender in the allotted time without burning. Adding the optional sugar should also help balance the vegetable taste. Glad you enjoyed!
Great sauce! It really does taste like spaghetti-os!
So delicious and nostalgic!
The whole family loved this. I swapped cottage cheese for the heavy cream to amp up the protein, blending it with the veggies and broth so it was smooth. And I made an impossible burger version of the mini pesto meatballs as well. My son took leftovers in his lunch and is already asking me to make it again next week.
Perfect! So glad it was a hit!
Toddler approved! My two year old devoured this and it made PLENTY of leftovers which I froze in one cup portions.
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Super good! Never had spaghettios yo be honest but this sauce is super creamy and flavorfull 🙂
I’m glad you gave these a try! The sauce really makes this dish 🙂
Delicious! I made this with small shell pasta and it came out so good. Simple and easy to make! Thank you as always Monique xo
Love it! Glad you enjoyed!
Delicious and will for sure make again. Had to cook for much longer than stated – more like 40 minutes and had to add extra liquid. I did use the pasta shape that was specified.
So glad you enjoyed! Noted on the timing here, too – very strange that it took a full 40 minutes. Make sure everything is actively simmering together!
Can’t stop making this! SO DELICIOUS.
this was very very tasty- it took a lot longer to cook the anelli- more like half hour but worth the wait. But I cannot believe it is supposed to serve 6! 2 cups of dry pasta for 6 portions? In what world?! I doubled it, using a full pound of pasta AND served with sausages and it was devoured by 4 people (ok 2 were hungry teenage boys but my daughter and I ate what I consider normal portions!).
So glad it was a hit! I made this serving size 6 to leave room to make it a full meal with all of the protein suggestions 🙂 but you can absolutely have this go 4 ways!
I absolutely love this recipe- have made it once with the pesto meatballs and once without (the meatballs are amazing!)
If I wanted to use the sauce for a gnocchi which I likely wouldn’t cook in the sauce would you suggest leaving out the broth in the sauce?
Thanks!
So happy to hear that! I’d maybe cut the broth in half and let the sauce simmer with the cooked gnocchi.
I cannot believe how delicious this was. I was getting stressed out about how much liquid there was and I was worried it wouldn’t all reduce down, but the amount of sauce left after simmering for 15 minutes was perfect, especially after adding cheese, Tasted just like Spaghetti-O’s when I was a kid, and paired perfectly with a salad. Will definitely be making this one again!
So glad you loved it! And yes, this is one of those “trust the process” recipes because it’s all cooked in one pan 🙂
Made this last night and it was delicious. Skipped the sugar and it still tasted amazing! Thank you Monique!! Can’t wait for the cookbook
Perfect dinner! So excited to share the book with all of yoU 🙂
So excited about this! If we are adding in the Pesto Meatballs, should we cook them fully before? Or do you cook them partially and add them in to simmer with everything else? Thanks so much 🙂
Hi! I would suggest cooking them fully before and then adding them to the pan in the last couple minutes of the pasta cooking 🙂
I can’t count how many times we’ve made this now! So easy and so delicious!
Flavor is 5/5
I took 1 star off just because it’s a long process.
It is a bit labor intensive because of the roasted veggie sauce, but so worth it 🙂
This is one of the best pasta recipes I’ve ever made! It’s SO good!!! Simple, healthy, and delicious!
I’m so glad!!
This is legit AF! Absolutely worth the time it took to roast the veggies and garlic. Next time I’ll make the veggie sauce on a weekend & save time making this during the week.
Great idea! Glad you loved this one!
This was so easy to make and delicious! Made it once and already looking forward to making it again.