I grew up loving spaghetti O’s, but this homemade spaghetti O’s tastes so much better and it’s much healthier than the store-bought version. Plus, it’s super budget-friendly and always a family favorite!
Confession: I love spaghetti O’s.
The kinda cheese-y but definitely tomato-y sauce with all the fun little noodle ‘O’ pasta shapes that would nestle into each other…
I used to pick out all the tiny o’s and eat those first.
Unless there were meatballs. Meatballs trumped all the noodles.
I was young and naive in those spaghetti O days, just a kid oblivious to nutrition labels and artificial ingredients. It’s amazing, though, how strong that pull is to favorite childhood foods.
Fortunately, my homemade spaghetti O’s are pretty amazing in their own right and definitely picky eater approved!
Just like the original, they’re kinda cheese-y and definitely tomato-y. The pasta is still small enough to eat with a spoon so you can see how many noodles you can fit!
It’s my favorite bowl of childhood goodness, all re-made and grown up into something my body can recognize and digest. It’s a 100% real food-comfort food that I’m okay with feeding to my own kids so that one day they too can look back and fondly remember.
With meatballs for my son, without for my daughter, extra sauce for both.
Classic Homemade Spaghetti O’s
Besides being SO yummy, this homemade spaghetti O’s recipe is:
- Versatile. Just like homemade Lunchables and homemade hot pockets, this recipe is SUPER versatile. If you’re gluten-free, go ahead and use gluten-free noodle O’s!
- If you don’t have tomato sauce, you can definitely substitute leftover tomato basil soup or easy homemade pizza sauce instead. You can puree tomatoes fresh from the garden (like I did), or use a can of diced tomatoes. If you go this route, measure the finished tomato puree, not the whole tomatoes.
- Great for meal planning. Be proactive (and win awesome parent hugs) by planning to make homemade spaghetti-o’s for lunch on the weeks you have any of the above sauce recipes on your meal plan!
Ingredients for Spaghetti O’s
Here are the simple real food ingredients that go into this recipe!
- Small pasta rings
- Cheddar cheese
- Butter
- Milk
- Honey (optional)
- Dried thyme (optional)
- Salt
Some people might like to add chopped red pepper to this recipe. I didn’t because I love the classic flavor of spaghetti O’s. But you certainly can for more veggies!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Start with the pasta and cook, on medium-high, al dente, according to the directions on the package, stirring occasionally.
Step 2. Meanwhile, combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, spices, milk and butter in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. The honey is optional but adds the signature “sweet” taste that you’re used to in the classic recipe. If you add it, add it with the milk and butter.
Step 3. Add cheese and stir until melted. Turn heat to low until pasta is done.
Step 4. Strain pasta when done and portion into serving bowls.
Step 5. Ladle finished sauce over pasta, adding more sauce for those who like it saucy!
FAQs
This recipe for homemade spaghetti O’s is healthy because it is made with wholesome real food ingredients. It also tastes MUCH better than the store-bought processed canned version.
I try to buy sharp cheddar whenever possible since it takes less to achieve the same cheese-y flavor as medium cheddar. I used medium cheddar in this recipe because it’s what I had, but if you use sharp cheddar, reduce to 1/2 cup and taste, then possibly add another 1/4 cup. You likely won’t need a full cup of cheese.
Just follow this simple recipe using easy-to-find real food ingredients! I know you’ll love it!
More Classic Recipe Favorites
- Easy and Healthy Homemade Gummies
- Healthy Homemade Lunchables
- Easy Soft Pretzels
- Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
- Homemade Hot Pockets
Fight Inflation Workshop
Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!Watch How to Make Homemade Spaghetti-O’s
Homemade Spaghetti O’s
I grew up loving spaghetti O’s, but this homemade spaghetti o’s tastes so much better & is much healthier. My kids chose this over the can & it’s cheaper!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: about 4 cups 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 16 oz tomato sauce*
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp honey (optional)
- 6 Tbsp milk
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup packed cheddar cheese, shredded (about 5 oz)
- 2 cups small pasta, about 8 oz (ditalini if you’re shopping in store, or anelletti for the traditional O-shaped noodles)*
- additional salt, to taste
Instructions
- Start with the pasta and cook, on medium-high, al dente, according to the directions on the package, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, spices, milk and butter in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. The honey is optional but adds the signature “sweet” taste that you’re used to in spaghetti O’s. If you add it, add it with the milk and butter.
- Add cheese and stir until melted. Turn heat to low until pasta is done.
- Strain pasta when done and portion into serving bowls.
- Ladle finished sauce over pasta, adding more sauce for those who like it saucy!
Notes
* You can substitute fresh tomatoes, canned whole tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes for the tomato sauce. You can even use leftover tomato basil soup or pizza sauce. If you’re using whole or diced tomatoes, puree first and then measure.
* If you use another pasta that is slightly larger, like small shells or macaroni, you might need to increase the quantity.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 846
Have you canned these? Like in a water bath?
Hi Toni,
Tiffany says, “I have not! I’m not a very experienced canner, but I would be careful with canning cooked noodles. You don’t want them to turn to mush! I’m more likely to freeze for that reason.”
The flavor is amazing but it looks like the milk curdled. What did I do wrong? But the texture is now off!! I wanna try again! Also what kinda of milk is best used?
Hello Julia,
Any kind of milk will work. Try heating the milk gently and gradually over a medium-low flame until it begins to steam. Hope this helps! 🙂
It might have been your cheese. If you use pre-shredded cheese it has an anti-caking agent in it that won’t allow it to melt properly and can cause the look and feel of curdled milk.
I just made this and it was so easy and delicious! I’m never buying canned again! I didn’t have cheddar cheese so I used mozzarella cheese instead and I loved it! It definitely works well with the mozzarella but I will get cheddar to try next time.
This is so good!
I’ve always been a fan of speggetti O’s, but I liked the one that had hotdogs in it. I’d love to try out your recipe, but I don’t have tomato paste, but I do have a can of tomato sauce. Is there anything I can do for a substitute? I also don’t have any of those tiny pasta shapes… I’ve got larger pasta shapes and I have speggetti noodles. I’d seen on a different recipe with raman noodles where they used tomato soup.. could that work as some kind of substitute in this? See before I saw your recipe, I was actually wondering how the tomato soup with cheddar cheese would work for something similar. Thanks for your recipe and your time. Jennifer
Was wanting a healthier version of spaghetti’O’s and found this, it’s so easy and yummy!!!
I was never a fan of spaghetti O’s growing up because I hated tomato sauce haha. Now as an adult I love tomato sauce and having 2 kids under 3 years I figured I could try this recipe for them. I used the whole 16oz package of O pasta so I double the recipe ingredients except the tomato sauce, just added a half cup of water. I also did more seasonings that it called for and it turned out sooo delicious!! My 3 year old ate 2 bowls! We served it with Italian sausages, asparagus, and sourdough garlic bread to dip. So good! It’s a keeper
Hi Heather,
Glad you and your family enjoyed this Spaghetti O recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I don’t think that I’d add the cheese next time. I used freshly grated cheddar, added it off the heat, and I couldn’t get it to melt to where the sauce was smooth again. Before I added the cheese, the sauce was perfect and very spaghetti o-ey. It was tasty anyway and I would make again. Lots of fun!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for sharing!
800 calories per serving or per entire recipe? My recipe doesn’t make it clear how much a serving size is.
Hi Kristine! That’s for the full recipe. We don’t have serving sizes or per serving nutritional info set up at this time.
Can this be frozen then re-heated? My toddler loves speghetti-os! We have been eating the HEB organic brand but this was MUCH better ingredients! Was wanting to make and freeze for easy meals this summer!
Hi Whitney,
Yes, this can be frozen and reheated. Hope this helps!
This checks all the boxes: delicious, fast, easy, and inexpensive.
Great job! just added fresh ground pepper when serving.
Thanks
I was surprised how good this was. It’s way better than the canned kind and I absolutely love spaghettios.
I made this for lunch using random pasta shapes in my cupboard, and followed the ingredient list while eyeballing the amounts. Both my baby (I didn’t use any honey) and toddler loved it!
I have loved spaghettio’s with hotdogs since I was two, so I had to give this a try. It was delicious! Even though I shredded the cheese myself instead of using bagged cheese, it still didn’t fully melt so there was a bit more texture to the sauce than the canned version, but the taste was super close. And of course, I added a hotdog to mine. In the Midwest, we have ring macaroni available everywhere. I’ve never seen it outside of Wisconsin or Minnesota, but it’s perfect for this recipe!
Made it with small shells, evaporated milk, and a spoonful of sugar. Very similar taste to the real thing. Kid approved.
I was hesitant to make this because I love spaghetti o’s and didn’t think it could even come close. I was so wrong – this recipe is amazing! Way better than the can! YUM!
Thanks so much for sharing Amy! It is delicious. 🙂
On our road trip back in 2017, we sometimes ate Spaghetti O’s directly from the can 😀 Well, if you wait for The Old Faithfull, you have to make sacrifices 😉
I wanted to reproduce the Spaghetti O’s at home for the kids and I found your recipe!
First, I thought – milk? butter? IN the sauce?! But, hey, you are American, you know better than I do, being European 😉
So I followed the recipe to a T, except I had to use ditalini instead of anellini.
I loved them, the kids sayed, they were like the real stuff! 🙂
Next time I find anellini somewhere, I’ll get one extra bag only to make those Spaghetti O’s again! 😉
Yay! Thanks for sharing PJ. 🙂
How did their food stay warm? And was this a gluten free pasta you used?
I’ve trained my kids to enjoy room temperature food. BEST MOVE EVER, LOL. It’s really made our lives easier! This recipe works with both regular and GF pasta.
Hi! Every time I try to make this, the sauce turns out grainy and not smooth. I followed the directions step by step, not sure why it keeps happening. 🙁 do you have any advice for this?
Hi Angela,
Hm. That’s a good question. Are you using a fine enough grind on your garlic and onion powders? Do you add the ingredients in order of the instructions? Perhaps you can be sure that your spices are fully incorporated into your tomato sauce / tomato paste before you add the milk and butter? Or is your honey perhaps granulating in the jar before you use it? Honey can sometimes do that. Hope this helps. Let us know. 🙂
Angela: Another thing that can cause a grainy texture is pre-shredded bag cheese. I think it’s the coating they put on it to keep it from sticking in the bag. I get a smoother texture if I grate it myself
In your recipe you say 16 oz are you referring to fl oz or oz/lb as in like on he scales.
Hi Kim! For liquids, it’s in ounces.
I’ve grown up in Australia and have never tried spaghetti-o’s but I’ll give this recipe a try!
I fondly remember tuna-noodle casserole made with cream of mushroom soup. Or lots of things made with cream of mushroom soup. Since I often do not have it in my pantry, for a casserole base I have substituted simple white sauce, perhaps with a bit more flour than the recipe requires to make it thicker, and sometimes add fresh or canned mushrooms.
My favorite tuna noodle casserole is pretty simple: drained tuna, cooked egg noodles, frozen peas, cream of mushroom soup, a little milk to thin the soup. Fairly non-processed if you don’t count the soup!
I’ve enjoyed your website and recipes.
Thank you! Tuna casserole was one of my favorites too. Haven’t had it in years, but can still remember the taste!!
I’ve added mushrooms and even olives to my Tuna Noodle Casserole always made with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. As a topping, I layer grated mozzarella cheese mixed with crushed plain potato chips. Yum!!
Tiffany, you are the bomb. I never would’ve thought to do this. I was just thinking about spaghetti O’s as I drove past Aldi, bcuz I recently had a weak moment and bought a can there. One day as I ate the whole thing right out of the can, I read the huge ingredient list (I didn’t bother in the store bcuz I knew it wouldn’t be good). I told myself I’d never buy them again, but lamented a little. LOL
I can’t wait to try this, but had hoped it would taste the same 😂. You said it would taste better.
You are so sweet Maria – thank you! It DOES taste better… in that not-guilty for eating a whole can kind of way. 😉 Enjoy!! ♥
Do you have a recipe for the little meatballs? Thanks 🙂
Ooh, I wish! I don’t at the moment, but it’s on my list!
They are made with ground beef and ground pork mix, just add a little fennel and Italian seasoning with bread crumbs and an egg. Roll then into small meatballs and brown in a cast iron skillet.
I suggest adding fennel and Italian seasoning then cooking one small meatball and taste till you figure out the way you like them best. If they need more fennel or Italian seasoning add more then test again.
Thanks for the recipe!! We have started testing recipes for back to school, and my nine year old liked these even better than the canned version (and that is a HUGE compliment from her). I froze the individual servings so we can pull them the night before, heat them up, and they can go right in her thermos.
Hi Tiffany. Love that Dutch oven in the photos. Which brand/make is it? Thanks.