Italian Pasta Rings with Mini Meatballs

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Bring back childhood memories with this easy recipe for Italian pasta rings with mini meatballs. A great recipe for kids and adults!

Wow! When I came across these pasta rings at our local Italian grocery store my eyes lit up like a toddler and I got real excited. The first thought that came to mind was OMG! I’m going to recreating a recipe I ate as a very young girl.

This recipe might just remind you of the famous SpaghettiOs we ate when we were kids. Yes, SpaghettiOs have been around for as long as I can remember, 50 years plus! So when I came across these round shaped pasta rings all I could think about was making an adult version of SpaghettiOs.

Anyway, if making my homemade version of Italian Pasta Rings is not your cup of tea then by all means feel free to treat yourself to an original can of SpaghettiOs by Campbells Soup Company. It won’t taste the same as my recipe but you can always give it a try.

So, if you have decided to continue reading about my recipe then let me interest you in making a batch of Italian Pasta Rings (or Pasta Spaghetti O’s) using Durum Wheat Semolina Pasta and an easy homemade spaghetti sauce with Italian mini meatballs. It will not disappoint.

Italian Pasta Rings with Mini Meatballs Recipe

Pasta Ingredients

• 2 cups dry Anelletti Durum Wheat Semolina Pasta (cooked per directions or your desired tenderness) note: 2 cups of this pasta will usually feed 4 people
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (for boiling pasta)
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Sauce Ingredients

• 29 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional) If kiddos will be eating this dish you may want to omit this ingredient.
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Meatball Ingredients (this recipe makes about 76 mini meatballs)

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage (I use mild)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Tablespoons whole milk

Directions:

Prepare Pasta

Prepare a large pot of water with salt and cook Anelletti Durum Wheat Semolina Pasta according to directions on package. Drain water from pasta, add butter and stir until butter has melted and set aside covered.

Meatballs

Place all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix until completely combined. Then make mini meatballs. Crazy as it may sound, I use a 2 1/4 teaspoon for making these mini meatballs to keep them uniform in weight but use what works for you. After meatballs are formed and rolled place them on a baking sheet covered with foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I got about 30-45 meatballs on a baking sheet and filled 2 baking sheets with a total of 75 mini meatballs.

Bake meatballs in a 400 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until meatballs reach at least an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a meat thermometer to make sure meatballs are cooked thoroughly. Carefully remove from oven, place baking sheet on a cooling rack and allow meatballs to rest until cooled.

Prepare Sauce

Place all sauce ingredients except milk into a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until sauce become steamy but not quite to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add milk and continue stirring until milk has been totally incorporated.

Place cooked pasta in a bowl, cover with desired amount of sauce add 3-4 meatballs and viola’…Homemade Italian Pasta Rings with Mini Meatballs! Enjoy!

I AM EXCITED YOU ARE VIEWING JETT’S RECIPE FOR ITALIAN PASTA RINGS WITH MINI MEATBALLS AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW YOURS TURNS OUT SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO MAKE IT!

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