Uh oh, spaghettios. This healthy homemade spaghettios recipe tastes even better than the real thing!
The original SpaghettiOs
More than 150 million cans of Campbell’s SpaghettiOs are sold each year, many of which are consumed by children.
There’s just something about those cute little os in the cheesy tomato sauce that’s impossible to resist.
SpaghettiOs were a common sight in my own elementary school lunchbox, much to the bemusement of my traditional Italian grandmother.
I remember her once picking up a can, reading the label, and saying to me, “This is NOT food.”
When Campbell’s introduced the idea of canned spaghetti back in 1965, I think she may have cried.
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Above, watch the homemade spaghettio recipe video
Easy homemade spaghettios recipe
With kids still in school for a few more weeks, it seemed like a good time to try and create a homemade spaghettios recipe.
But this one has no high fructose corn syrup or ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Healthy spaghettios! And yes, they fit perfectly into a lunchbox thermos.
Pack them up alongside a few healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies, Black Bean Brownies, or these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Healthy spaghettios ingredients
I used anellini pasta for a traditional Spaghetti Os shape, but you can easily substitute whatever small pasta shape you have on hand.
The spaghetti Os can be dairy free, egg free, soy free, vegan, low fat, low calorie, and added sugar free. For gluten free homemade Spaghettios, just use a gluten free pasta.
They even make gluten free quinoa anellini if you want a true SpaghettiOs shape but wish to keep it gluten free.
Nutritional yeast is a completely natural, and very healthy, product that can be found at Whole Foods, on Amazon, or in the natural food section of many regular grocery stores. It is high in protein and boasts an impressive list of vitamins.
Don’t get it confused with brewers yeast or the yeast you’d use for bread. Here, nutritional yeast is used as a vegan alternative to Parmesan cheese. It gives the homemade spaghettios a deliciously cheesy flavor.
For vegan spaghettios, use dairy free butter and plant based milk. I have not tried the recipe with oil instead of butter. We did try a fat free version and were not fans. So we do not recommend omitting it.
These homemade Spaghettios are Italian-grandma approved!
How to make homemade spaghettios
Combine the onion powder, paprika, sweetener, nutritional yeast or Parmesan, salt, milk of choice, no salt added tomato sauce, and butter in a small saucepan.
Bring the pasta sauce to a boil. Then lower the heat and cook on low, stirring occasionally, until hot.
While the red sauce is cooking, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
Once the water starts to boil, throw in the pasta and cook according to package directions or until desired pasta texture is reached. (I like al dente pasta.)
Drain, then pat dry with a towel. Pour the pasta into the sauce, and stir to coat the spaghettios. Serve hot.
Leftover spaghettios can be stored in an airtight covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheat leftovers on the stove top or in the microwave, adding a little milk of choice as needed to get the sauce creamy again.
Although you technically can freeze pasta, it will change the texture of both the noodles and the sauce. So I do not recommend freezing leftover pasta in general.
Using a food scale
If you wish to use gram measurements instead of the cups and tablespoons listed further below, here are the amounts to use in grams:
130 grams of pasta, 425 grams of tomato sauce, 12 grams of Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, 30 grams of milk (plant based milks work too), 10 grams butter spread, and 12 grams of sweetener.
Also remember to add in the onion powder, salt, and paprika.
Homemade Spaghettios
Ingredients
- 15 oz no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp milk of choice
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp to 1 tsp salt, as desired
- 1 tbsp butter (vegan brands work too)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or Parmesan
- 1-2 tbsp any sweetener of choice
- 1 cup uncooked tiny pasta of choice (If using a larger pasta, such as elbows, increase to 2 cups)
Instructions
- Homemade SpaghettiOs Recipe: In a small saucepan, stir together all ingredients except the pasta. Bring to a boil, then lower and cook on low until the butter spread melts completely. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, throw in the pasta and cook until desired texture is reached. Drain, then pat dry with a towel. Pour the pasta into the sauce, and stir to combine. Serve. Before reheating any leftovers, stir and add a little milk of choice as needed.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
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Omg Katie you are amazing! I can’t wait to try this with my daughter!
Awesome! I don’t suppose you have a picture of the pasta packet? I’m not sure we can get that pasta in Australia…
Do a Google image search for anatelli pasta and all the images of different brands should come up. Hope that is helpful!
Sorry, that should read “anellini” pasta!
Have you considered advising people to use different “butters”? I ask because I just threw out my Smart Balance when I realized it is canola oil, which is GMO. Just wondering if for non vegans, organic butter might be a better choice. Love your site!
I kind of think that Earth Balance is non-GMO and vegan!
http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/product/original-buttery-spread/
Good to know. I am not familiar with that product but threw away the SmartBalance once I did research. Thx. 🙂
Are you kidding? What perfect timing! Not only is this a fantastic back to school lunch for our kindergartener (who’s never had the canned variety), I’ve been craving spaghettios for weeks! I’ve even picked up a can but the ingredient label had me returning it within seconds. Dinner plans for tonight have been changed! 🙂
Love this! I haven’t had spaghetti-os in such a long time but I practically lived on them as a kid. This is bringing back some fond memories indeed 🙂
OMG! I haven’t had spaghetti o’s since I was a kid. Thank you for this!
Oh wow, I always crave spaghettios when I’m feeling sick but then feel bad for eating junk food. This recipe is going to come in really handy!
Katie…which did you use? The powdered or flake version of the yeast? I know you can use less powder (almost by half compared to flakes)…so which did you use?
I never knew there was more than one type… I guess I used the flakes, as you can definitely see some flake shape in the package I have (from the bulk aisle of Whole Foods).
This would be so great for my kids lunches!
Question about nutritional yeast….does it add anything to the flavor? Is there something you could substitute? These look yummy!!!!
Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Since regular Spaghettios have cheese in the sauce, maybe the yeast is supposed to replace that flavor? For those of us who can’t/don’t have nutritional yeast and who aren’t vegan, would melting some shredded cheese in the tomato sauce work instead?
Sorry, I really don’t know about the cheese question… but yes, the nutritional yeast is included for a cheesy flavor.
Thanks. 🙂
Try pre-grated Parmesan! 🙂