This 3-Ingredient Pasta Is My Kids’ Favorite Dinner

When I was growing up, my parents never bought all of the processed foods I’d see in my friends’ pantries, and that just made me want them more. Whether it was sweet treats like Ding Dongs or Ho Hos, or savory delights like canned ravioli or Manwich, I did not have regular access to anything that wasn’t homemade.

I finally got to try Spaghettios when I was 8 or 9 years old, and to say it was a disappointing experience would be an understatement. The mushy noodles, the gloopy, goopy sauce… I couldn’t eat more than a few bites before pushing the bowl away.

Now that I have two little girls of my own, I don’t deny them store-bought treats, but I wanted to make a homemade version of Spaghettios that they’d actually enjoy. They’re used to al dente pasta and good quality jarred sauces, so a can of gloppy Os definitely wouldn’t pass muster around here. 

How I Make My Homemade Spaghettios

Luckily, it’s very, very easy to create a much more delicious version of Spaghettios at home with just a handful of ingredients. I boil some ring-shaped pasta, then make a simple sauce with tomato paste, butter or olive oil, and my secret ingredient, tomato bouillon. A cup of the starchy, seasoned pasta water turns the mixture into a smooth and silky sauce.

The Ingredients

You can find ring-shaped pasta noodles at some grocery stores, but more often I’ll pick mine up from an Italian market or specialty market. Think places that have a zillion different pasta shapes in stock. They’re usually called anelli, anellini, or anelletti.

Of course, any short pasta shape makes a good substitute. My favorite easy-to-find shapes to substitute are ditalini (the short, cylindrical macaroni you’ll usually find in pasta salads), cavatappi, and rotelle, a.k.a. wagon wheels.

Buy a little jar of Knorr Tomato Bouillon With Chicken Flavor and you’ll find a million uses for it. It’s an absolute umami bomb packed with salt, MSG, tomato powder, and powdered cooked chicken. Add a teaspoon of bouillon and a glug of olive oil to the cooking water for rice, and you’ve got Mexican rice made easy. Or use it to bump up the flavor of tomato soup, beef stew, arroz con pollo… I’ll even add a pinch to pico de gallo or salsa roja.

The tomato bouillon is really what takes this dish from just okay to crave-worthy—you’ll find your spoon going back to the bowl before your brain catches up.

Spaghettios have become one of my girls’ top requests for dinner, which is great on busy nights when we’re all in the mood for something homey and comforting. They garnish theirs with “sprinkle cheese,” aka grated parmesan. Since the pasta is already so savory, just a teaspoon or so is enough to top the bowl.