Yes, this is another thrilling adventure in the kitchen where we are going to make a dish inspired by nostalgia but elevated. You know, kind of like grown-up versions of childhood favorites.
My other half, Mark Morgan, has treated us to Bachelor Chow, variations on ramen noodle dishes, and a super quick and tasty tortilla pizza in the previous parts of this adventure, so when I stumbled across an article touting “Adult Spaghetti-O’s” I was all over it. I bookmarked it, imported it into our recipe/shopping/pantry app and then told Mark to look it over. He was ALL IN. So we added it to the meal plan and I made it this week!
It was great! It does remind me a bit of the good old Chef Boyardee stuff in the sweetness of the sauce, but oh, the meatballs! Those are good all by themselves so the recipe is definitely a keeper! Obviously the pasta is not the little “O” shaped rings you get in the canned stuff either but salad macaroni was the closest thing in relative size and shape here at my local Safeway.
Starting off I got my stuff gathered up for a photo:
In the bowl at the bottom left:
1 egg
1 lb 80/20 ground beef
1 pkg frozen chopped basil
On the counter:
pepper grinder & kosher salt
heavy cream
panko bread crumbs
garlic powder
oregano
smoked paprika
red pepper flakes
tomato paste
In the back on the white cutting board:
Parmesan cheese & grater
½ onion
1 big garlic clove
Not pictured: 4-15 oz cans of crushed tomatoes dumped into a large bowl and the pasta.
Ok, so let’s get into our recipe:
Adult "SpaghettiOs" Recipe
from www.bonappetit.com
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon coarsely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more
Kosher salt
1 large egg, beaten to blend
5 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound ground beef chuck (20% fat)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons sweet paprika ( I used smoked as that’s what I have at the moment)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 large sprigs basil
12 ounces anelletti, ditalini, or other short tubular pasta
RECIPE PREPARATION
1. Purée tomatoes in a food processor until mostly smooth; there should still be some dime-sized pieces remaining. Set aside.
We keep 15oz cans of crushed tomatoes on hand all the time for other recipes so I just dumped 4 cans into a bowl then removed the excess 4 ounces.
2. Whisk panko, cheese, oregano, garlic powder, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, and 1½ tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in egg and cream. Add beef and mix with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork (if packed too firmly, meatballs will be dense). Form into 1"-diameter balls (you should have about 24); transfer to a plate.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides but not fully cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to another plate.
5. Cook onion and garlic in same skillet, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and begins to soften, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute. Add paprika and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Add sugar, basil, and reserved tomato purée. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced and flavors have melded, about 20 minutes. Add meatballs and any accumulated juices; continue to cook until meatballs are cooked through, 5–10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and return to pasta pot. Pour sauce and meatballs over pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to a platter and top with cheese.
We now have a ton of leftovers too! This does make a lot so you could freeze portions of it easily.
Thank you for joining us here at WFD for another Saturday evening of food, recipes, and whatnot. Feel free to tell us about your dinner or ask a question! What’s for Dinner publishes every Saturday at 4:30pm Pacific so if you would like to contribute a post just send me a message and let me know what date you would like!
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