March 11, 2023
Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs
These vegan homemade spaghettiOs with mini meatballs are the perfect combination of cozy comfort food mixed with childhood nostalgia – consider it the grown-up, cooler version of that canned stuff. Made in one pot and just about 30 minutes, it’s sure to be a family favorite!
Table of Contents
ingredients & substitutions jump to recipe video step-by-step instructions tips and faqsHomemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs
If you’re looking for a comfy and cozy dish that’ll take you back to you childhood, look no further than these homemade SpaghettiOs with mini meatballs. This grown-up version of the classic canned meal is made from scratch, in one pot, requires just about 30 minutes to prepare, and will become an instant family favorite!
Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’!
Ingredients & Substitutions
I love any recipe that contains a short and to-the-point ingredients list, and these homemade spaghettiOs with mini meatballs is just that! The ingredients are simple, and most of them are pantry and fridge staples that I always have on hand. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
For the Mini Meatballs:
- Vegan Sausage: for this recipe, you have to use a vegan ground meat similar to ground sausage or ground beef, such as Impossible Sausage or Beyond Meat Sausage. Unfortunately, crumbles in a bag or links will not form into proper meatballs. If you’re unable to find vegan sausage grounds, you can sub it out for vegan ground ‘beef’.
- Italian-Style Breadcrumbs: make sure they’re vegan-friendly!
- Fresh Garlic and Basil
- Vegan Egg Replacer: this is a vegan alternative to eggs that can be used in place of eggs in many in dishes that require eggs for binding. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill or JUST Egg. If you can’t find vegan egg replacer, you could try using ground flaxseed mixed with water.
For the Homemade SpaghettiOs:
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Vegan-Friendly White Cooking Wine: this can be found at most liquor stores or specialty food stores. If you can’t find vegan-friendly wine, you can substitute it with equal portions vegetable broth.
- Marinara Sauce: you can use homemade or store-bought marinara sauce for this recipe. I really love If you’re using store-bought, be sure to check the label to make sure it’s vegan. I like using a marinara sauce that’s slightly spicy, such as this one from Mezzetta, or this one from Rao’s.
- Uncooked Annelleti Pasta: This is a specialty pasta shape that can be found at some Italian specialty food stores or online. If you can’t find annelleti pasta, you could try using another small pasta shape like macaroni or ditalini.
- Vegetable Broth
- Sugar
- Vegan Parmesan: this is a vegan substitute for Parmesan cheese that can be found at most health food stores or online. Some of my favorite brands are Follow Your Heart and Good Planet Foods. If you can’t find vegan Parmesan shreds, you can sub it out nutritional yeast or another vegan cheese, such as vegan mozzarella shreds.
- Parsley
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
One pot and 30 minutes are all you need to make these homemade spaghettiOs with mini meatballs. Here’s how:
1. Make the Meatballs:
First, place all the meatball ingredients, besides the avocado oil, into a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Using your hands, form the mixture into mini meatballs — I used about 2 scant teaspoons of the mixture for 1 meatball. You should have between 35-40 meatballs. Next, heat the avocado oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook until lightly browned on all sides and heated through, tossing periodically, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Then the SpaghettiOs:
To the same pan, add the shallot and garlic, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom. Pour in the marinara, uncooked pasta, and broth. Season with the sugar and red chili flakes and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in the vegan parmesan shreds and parsley, continuing to stir until the parmesan has melted.
3. Enjoy!
Toss in the reserved meatballs, then taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve immediately with more vegan parmesan and minced parsley and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- If you don’t have annelleti pasta, you can use any small pasta shape like macaroni or ditalini.
- To save time, you can make the mini meatballs ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- If you don’t have vegan parmesan, you can substitute it with nutritional yeast or any other vegan cheese.
- Adjust the seasonings according to your taste preference.
Storage:
Store leftover spaghettiOs with mini meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating:
To reheat, you can microwave the leftovers or reheat on the stovetop in a pan with a splash of vegetable broth or water to prevent the pasta from drying out.
What can I serve with homemade spaghettiOs with mini meatballs?
This dish can be served on its own as a complete meal, or you can pair it with a side salad or garlic bread for a more filling meal.
More One-Pot Recipes
- 20-Minute Peanut Gochujang Noodles
- Soy Chorizo Mushroom Marsala Pasta
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Skillet Baked Ziti
- Cheesy Gochujang Skillet Fried Rice
Homemade SpaghettiOs
I hope you love these homemade spaghettiOs with mini meatballs as much as I do! If you try this dish and enjoy it, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Til next time, friends!
XO!
Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Mini Meatballs:
- 14 oz vegan ground sausage
- 1/3 cup vegan-friendly Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 4 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced basil
- 1 vegan egg replacer
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
For the SpaghettiOs:
- 1 large shallot minced
- 6 cloves fresh minced garlic
- ½ cup vegan-friendly dry white cooking wine
- 3 cups marinara sauce homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups uncooked annelleti pasta
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- 1 cup vegan parmesan shreds plus more for garnish
- ½ cup fresh minced parsley plus more for garnish
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Instructions:
- For the meatballs, place all its ingredients, besides the avocado oil, into a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Using your hands, form the mixture into mini meatballs — I used about 2 scant teaspoons of the mixture for 1 meatball. You should have between 35-40 meatballs.
- Heat the avocado oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook until lightly browned on all sides and heated through, tossing periodically, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- To the same pan, add the shallot and garlic, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom. Pour in the marinara, uncooked pasta, and broth. Season with the sugar and red chili flakes and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Stir in the vegan parmesan shreds and parsley, continuing to stir until the parmesan has melted.
- Toss in the reserved meatballs, then taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve immediately with more vegan parmesan and minced parsley and enjoy!
