Just the word “Spaghettios” instantly conjures up fond childhood memories, and now you’ll have a way to enjoy a healthier version at home.
Truth be told, my kids have never had Spaghettios or any Chef Boyardee product. When Twinkies celebrated their 100th anniversary some years back, my kids asked what Twinkies were. I laughed because it shows you how much things change. We just don’t eat a ton of pre-packaged food, so that is largely the reason why they haven’t tried (or heard of) these items, and I cook a lot and just make most things from scratch.
So the fact that this recipe is a riff off of Spaghettios is lost on them, but not on me. I got the recipe from How Sweet Eats and made some minor tweaks. It was super simple to make and came together quickly. It also uses ingredients I already had on hand, which, given we’re still quarantined and I’m limiting my trips outside of our home, is music to my ears and hopefully yours too.
This is a great comfort food, even more so if it reminds you of your childhood. It’s packed with flavor and you’ll be enjoying it in half an hour… dig in!
Homemade Spaghettios
Modified from a How Sweet Eats recipe
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves mined
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups tiny pasta like ditalini, alphabet, etc
Directions
Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and stir, cooking for 1 minute. Add in the tomato paste and stir, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and stir until the tomato paste is dispersed through the stock and the mixture is smooth. Bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, add in the pasta and stir. Cook, stirring often (the little pasta pieces can stick to the bottom or sides!) with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pasta is fully cooked and the soup is a bit thicker. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the soup into bowls.
