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Easy and healthy Homemade Spaghettios are just like the classic, but a meal that you can feel good about feeding to your kids! This one-pot pasta recipe only requires a handful of simple pantry staples, and is ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes. A childhood favorite that you’ll love at any age!
Put down the can and make these Homemade Spaghettios instead! This pasta recipe is super easy to make, turns out absolutely delicious and will totally bring your childhood memories back to the dinner table.
Now that Jemma’s old enough to enjoy all of the foods I enjoyed as a kid, I’ve been having fun recreating many of them at home. I’ve also discovered that food guilt (or at least that is what I call it) is a real part of mom guilt. I feel guilty when she doesn’t have home cooked meals and I feel guilty when I’m not making new things for her to try.
Since Jemma goes to daycare everyday, that means I have to pack her a lunch every day. And that task is FAR more difficult than I thought it would be. Enter easy dishes like this homemade spaghettios recipe. I feel a little better about it, since it’s homemade and I know exactly what is in it. But I also LOVE it because it’s ridiculously easy to throw together.
Ingredients needed
The ingredients list for this spaghettios recipe is short and sweet. And best of all it’s filled with real ingredients that you’ll recognize, and likely already have in your kitchen! Here’s the list:
- Pasta. For that classic spaghettios look, I ordered pasta rings which are called Anellini pasta. I’ve also made this using Ditalini pasta, which is easier to find.
- Milk. Use any milk you’d like. This recipe works great with almond milk or regular milk.
- Cheese. I wrote the recipe so that this can be made with or without dairy, depending on your preferences. I’m a sucker for a little parmesan cheese, but that can be substituted for nutritional yeast to still give the dish that cheesy taste. You can also just skip it altogether and it will still be delicious.
- Spices. A blend of oregano, garlic powder, paprika and dried sage makes this taste just like your childhood favorite without being overly sweet, like the canned version. Also, don’t forget to add salt and pepper to taste, to bring out all of the delicious flavors!
- Tomato paste. Thickens the sauce and provides a rich tomato flavor.
- Tomato sauce. The base of the sauce. Use the plain, canned variety with no added flavorings or sugar.
How to make this recipe
If you can boil water, you’re over halfway there to making this recipe. This one-pot pasta meal is so quick and easy to whip up! Here’s the simple process:
- Boil pasta. Cook pasta according to packaging instructions. Drain and add back into the pot.
- Combine all ingredients. With the pasta over low heat, stir in the remaining ingredients and mix until fully combined and the sauce has heated through, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Once fully combined, remove from heat and ENJOY!
Expert tips
- Cook pasta al dente. It’s best to boil pasta to al dente because it will continue to cook as you combine it with the other ingredients and heat everything through.
- Consistency. You can add a little more milk for a thinner sauce or tomato sauce if you want yours a bit thicker. The recipe that I have written below ended up being a perfect balance for me.
- Add in veggies. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think that this would be good with a little bit of spinach mixed in or maybe even peas. A great way to sneak in extra veggies!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this particular recipe for homemade spaghettios is pretty healthy! It only requires simple ingredients, can easily be dairy free, and doesn’t have any of the extra additives, preservatives, or artificial flavorings that you’ll find in canned products (like high fructose corn syrup, modified cheddar cheese, vegetable oil, or canola oil). The recipe yields a total of about 4 large servings, and each serving includes about 222 calories, 10.5 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 5.8 grams of sugar.
To make this recipe as authentic as possible, use Anellini pasta, which can be ordered from Amazon and found in some grocery stores. Ditalini is often easier to find and works great, too. These pastas are particularly nice for small children who can’t easily eat other pastas, such as spaghetti or penne.
This recipe is written to be naturally vegetarian and easily adapted to be vegan-friendly. To make it vegan, be sure to use a plant-based milk and cheese or nutritional yeast.
This works as a healthy kids entree at lunch, an easy afternoon snack, or a family-friendly dinner. You can eat it alone or pair it with any of these simple sides: a fresh green salad, stovetop asparagus or sautéed Brussels sprouts. And don’t forget some garlic bread for sopping up all of the delicious tomato sauce!
Storage recommendations
This dish makes for great leftovers and stores well in the fridge for a few days. Transfer the leftover pasta and sauce to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within about 3 days.
As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).
Homemade Spaghettios
Ingredients
- 2 cups of uncooked Anellini pasta, ditalini is often easier to find and works well here too
- ¼ cup milk of choice, I tested this with unflavored almond milk as well as 2%
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
- ⅔ teaspoon of dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 ¼ cup of tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon of paprika
- ¼ teaspoon of dried sage
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to packaging instructions. Drain and add back into the pot.
- With the pasta over low heat, stir in the remaining ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Once fully combined, remove from heat and ENJOY!
