One-Pot Spaghetti-O’s with Mini Meatballs

A homemade take on the classic, One-Pot Spaghetti-O’s with Mini Meatballs is a total family crowd-pleaser. It’s great with a simple side salad on any weeknight!

 

I am obsessed with this dinner — and so are my kids. With that iconic O-shaped pasta, mini meatballs, and tons of fresh herbs, it’s a delicious, homemade version of something so nostalgic. And while it’s not quite as easy as heating up a can of soup for dinner, this dish does come together in just one pot in under an hour, which is pretty hard to beat (especially on busy weeknights).

Not only will you zhush up a jar of marinara sauce, but you’ll also make the meatballs from scratch. I prefer to use 90% lean, 10% ground beef, which has enough fat to deliver flavor and juiciness without too much excess grease. To the meatball mixture, I like to add freshly minced garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and basil to for more flavor and texture. Think of this as a blueprint for other beef meatballs, which you can serve so many ways throughout the week.

To make this dish even easier, you can “cheat” and use store-bought mini frozen meatballs instead of making your own here! However, if you have the time to make them yourself, I promise it’ll be worth the effort.

Ingredients:

• Ground Beef 
• Large Egg 
• Kosher Salt 
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper  
• Garlic Cloves 
• Basil Leaves  
• Milk  
• Grated Parmesan Cheese 
• Panko Breadcrumbs 
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil  
• Yellow Onion  
• Marinara Sauce  
• Low-Sodium Beef Broth 
• Parsley Leaves  
• Coconut Sugar  
• Small Pasta (such as anellini, ditalini, stellini, or orzo) 
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

step-by step:

step one: make the mini meatballs

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, milk, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs. Use your hands to mix until combined. Roll into 1/2-inch round meatballs.

step two: cook the mini meatballs

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Working in batches as necessary, add the meatballs and cook until browned all over, about 2 minutes per side. They don’t have to be completely cooked through, but they should be nicely browned. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.

step three: make the sauce

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add more oil to the skillet, if needed.

Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes. Pour in the marinara and broth. Stir to combine. Add the basil, parsley, coconut sugar, Parmesan and salt. Stir until well combined. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium to medium-low heat, 3 to 4 minutes.

step four: cook the pasta

Pour in the pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is very al dente and it has absorbed a lot of the sauce, 8 to 10 minutes. The pasta easily sticks to the bottom if you leave it simmering without stirring, so don’t leave it unattended and lower heat as needed.

step five: add the meatballs

Add the meatballs and any of their juices back into the pot and stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the meatballs are fully cooked through and the pasta is tender, about 6 minutes.

Remove from heat, cover, and let rest for about 2 minutes before serving. This just helps the pasta soak up the sauce a little more and settle!

step six: garnish and serve

Remove from heat, garnish with more basil and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and serve!

Recipe fAQs:

These One-Pot Spaghetti-O’s with Mini Meatballs is such a hit at my table. I hope your family loves it as much as mine does!

For more one-pot recipes, try these:

One-Pan Italian Sausage and Orzo

One-Pan Salmon with Herb Butter Couscous

One-Pot Taco Pasta

One-Pot Hamburger Helper

Photography and styling by Eat Love Eats.