Homemade Spaghetti O’s

Homemade Spaghetti O's | www.motherthyme.com

Ingredients I can’t pronounce scare me.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not an uptight person that has not had my share of processed foods.  I can remember in my early twenties jars of spaghetti o’s in my pantry and I also remember eating them when I was young.   As I get older and I am more conscience of the foods I consume and more importantly the food I bring to the table for my kids I read the labels of all the foods I put in my grocery cart.

Homemade Spaghetti O's | www.motherthyme.com

My kids have become picky eaters.  I am hoping this is just a phase.  I have cooked and made all their foods since they started eating solids.  Back then, they would eat whatever I put in front of them.  I thought I was one of the lucky ones, until they turned two.  Now they think they can pick and chose what they eat.  They would much rather eat grapes, cheese and yogurt all day instead of what I make for dinner.  I guess I shouldn’t complain since  they are not begging for unhealthy foods.  But that is the problem.  I made burrito bowls for dinner, they just eat the guacamole.  And I think they have consumed more grilled cheese sandwiches I dare to admit.  So I am always looking for new and creative ways to give them healthy and nutritious meals that are quick to prepare and don’t come from a can, sorry Spaghetti O’s.

What kid doesn’t love Spaghetti O’s?  Actually who doesn’t love Spaghetti O’s?  If they can make it in a factory and scoop it in a can, it can be made at home as well.  They funny thing is, Homemade Spaghetti O’s are incredibly easy to make.  There is no secret ingredient, just a secret ingredient they put in the cans that make consumers want to buy more.  But the only secret ingredient I can find in the canned version is extra additives I honestly don’t want my kids to eat.  Trust me, once you try these you’ll see how similar these taste to the canned version, and probably like Homemade Spaghetti O’s better.

Homemade Spaghetti O's | www.motherthyme.com

Print

Homemade Spaghetti O’s

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce pasta rings, cooked
  • 16 ounce tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • Pinch of salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Add tomato sauce and paste to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until heated through.
  2. Reduce heat to a low simmer and slowly whisk in milk and cheese. Cook stirring occasionally until cheese is dissolved.
  3. Stir in cooked pasta rings and toss to coat. Season with salt to taste.
  4. Serve warm.

Notes

To avoid milk curdling, use at least 2% milk or whole milk. Reduce heat to low before slowly whisking in milk.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:

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40 Comments

  1. I’ve never personally had spaghetti-o’s since I’m not a fan of tomatoes but I shamefully admit to having just bought a can prior to the storm as a ‘just in case’ kind of food lol. I’ll have to look for those cute pasta o’s. I’ve never seen them before!

      1. What’s the nutritional values for this? I have kidney disease and I have to watch my sodium intake. Thank you.

        1. You should be able to buy the tomato paste and sauce sodium-free, and, although I’m not sure about how much would be in the pasta, the grated Parmesan is about 75 mg of sodium for 1T. I have PKD, so I understand the need to be mindful of sodium intake- with the exception of the cheese you really have great control of the amount of salt in this dish! Delicious ??

  2. I am so with you here, Jennifer! I always had spaghetti-o’s in my pantry in college but I try to leave them at the store these days. However, the thought of being able to make them at home is awesome. I love the pasta, I’m going to add those to my list today!

  3. I had to laugh when I found this post. My husband just asked me yesterday if Spaghetti O’s are still made. Not having children at home any more I didn’t know. I think I will make this soon and surprise him 🙂

  4. I love those pasta rings. They are Tiffany’s favorite pasta when making mac&cheese. I’ll have to try with tomato sauce, i’m sure she’ll love them!
    Thanks for sharing and thank you for the lovely comment left on my guest post on Aimee’s blog

  5. I am going to make these for my boys, they love spaghetti o’s. but, only with meatballs, so my husband is going to whip up a batch of super small meatballs to include.. we’re going to make a big batch and freeze in individual containers.. hopefully it works. We also have super picky kids that used to eat everything and will now eat nothing. One eats nothing but cheese and bread. one eats anything but cheese, 2 others will eat anything but meat, except chicken.. 2 dont eat cheese.. the list goes on 🙂

  6. Hey! I am having a hard time finding the ring noodles to purchase, anyone had luck on the web or local stores? Thanks

  7. This turned out great! My 2 yr old only wants to eat spaghetti-o’s, so I can’t wait for him to try these. I used alphabet soup pasta since those noodles are closer to the right consistency.

  8. Meant to say I couldn’t find the spaghetti o noodles so the alphabet soup noodles worked excellent. My son gobbled it up and didn’t notice any difference from the canned version. Thanks for the great recipe.

  9. Thank you for this! I’m pregnant and have been craving spaghetti o’s. Which i haven’t had since college! I caved and bought a Can at the market the other day. I am totally going to try making this week.

  10. What a fantastic recipe! I just made this for my two picky eaters, ages 8 and 10. They loved it! I wouldn’t have believed they would like it when not from a can. I will make this as often as they want!

    I did adjust the flavor with a dusting of white sugar to tone down the acid. What a great version of the original. Thank you so much!

  11. Hi, I can’t wait to try this. I am going to make if for my 2 year old granddaughter. I try to make as much from scratch as possible, because I don’t approve of all the mystery ingredients included in processed foods. Thank you so much for this, and can’t wait to try it. My question is, where did you find the pasta shaped in the “O”?

  12. I was doing some research for a blog idea and found your blog posting. It made me so happy to read about someone who is experiencing the same baffling pickiness from their once dream eater. I actually get a bit down about it sometimes but I have actually been told by others I shouldn’t complain because what my daughter does want to eat is healthy. But I get so sad and frustrated when I make a meal and all she wants is raw veggie sticks, cheese and yoghurts. But hopefully this will be a phase and we will come out the other side of it just helped to hear someone was in the same boat as me.

    1. Thanks Laura! So glad to hear I’m not alone! I still get frustrated when I make a meal for my kiddos and they hardly touch it, but I put a bowl of fruit on the table or make them a green smoothie and the inhale it in a second. The most important thing is they are happy and healthy kids even if they are picky eaters. 🙂

  13. My kids loved this. I am making some tonight with grilled cheese. I am using alphabet pasta cause I could not find the o’s. But they still loved it last time plus at the leftovers for lunch. Thank u. 🙂

  14. This recipe looks great, I can’t wait to try it. I would love to make a big batch and freeze them. Do you think they would reheat well or would the noodles get soggy? Thanks!

  15. What type of parmesan cheese did you use – the basic Kraft in a can? I only really ever have a container of the real stuff shredded. Would this work or would it not dissolve quite as needed, making things stringy/cheesy instead? Just curious. I doubt the flavor would change much, so I might have to just give it a go with whatever I have on hand. 🙂

    1. Hi Krystal, So sorry for the delay in responding! Freshly grated parm definitely melts better but the canned stuff works fine too and what I typically use myself. Whether you use fresh or canned the flavor is still spot on! Enjoy!

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