Homemade Spaghettios with Crunchy Manchego.
Yep we’re doing it today. HOMEMADE SPAGHETTIOS!
Otherwise known as the meal we can’t stop eating.
This is so good that it’s not even fair. You’re going to want to make it every night for dinner!
My friend Rachel introduced me to this recipe from Smitten Kitchen that is basically grown up spaghettios. It is SO delicious and some major comfort food, but it’s not entirely terrible for us and comes together so fast. I would see Rachel make that version on Instagram almost every single week and she constantly raved about how delicious it was. Eventually I got around to trying it and my mind was blown.
It tasted like childhood comfort food, in the best way possible. It literally tasted like homemade spaghettios, but a really delish adult version. And now I making it ALL the time.
We never really ate spaghettios as kids – remember, my mom had a major mental block against tomato soup so I’m sure that is why. And I don’t know if I ended up tasting them at a friend’s house or what, but eventually when I was old enough to open a can and dump it in a pot, I ate spaghettios a handful of times at home. And I LOVED them.
The thing is, I never really knew if spaghettios were pasta or soup. Which is it? It’s like pasta IN soup I guess? And funnily enough, that’s exactly how I feel about this recipe too. It’s both pasta AND soup.
P.S. I used this pasta shape right here. You can obviously use anything else that’s really tiny and cute.
I wanted to create a version like this without the chickpeas so Emilia could eat it. Homemade spaghettios that are super kid friendly. She loves beans and enjoys chickpeas, but I have to sort of cut or halfway mash the chickpeas right now since she still only has one tooth! And I am always afraid that I will miss one and she might choke on it. So a more soup-like version of the original recipe was born, and oh my gosh.
This is pure heaven in a bowl.
The only thing I didn’t do was make the finishing oil that is in the original recipe. It is DEFINITELY worth it for an even fancier version. Especially if you’re doing the chickpeas!
I mean, THIS is a hug in a bowl. I say that all the time about my soups and stews but there is no question here. Comfort food that tastes like old school comfort food. It makes me ridiculously happy.
To top it off, I sprinkled on some crunchy manchego cheese and oh my. I’m have an actual MOMENT with manchego. Then to go and make crispy manchego? Not sure where to begin. It’s super flavorful and dare I say it: life changing.
If you’ve been following along for a few years then you know why I’m posting this today. It’s Halloween! I’m such a sucker for traditions and I love the idea of grilled cheese and tomato soup before trick or treating. The past few years I’ve made a whole host of versions: grilled cheese sticks with tomato soup shooters, pumpkin soup with grilled cheese croutons, tomato cream pasta with grilled cheese crumbs. The options are endless!
So I had to add the manchego here. We might be missing the bread, but go and find yourself a nice piece of sourdough and you’re all set.
This is 100% in my weekly rotation for the rest of the year!
Homemade Spaghettios
Homemade Spaghettios with Crunchy Manchego
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup finely grated manchego cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves mined
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 6 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon cooking sherry
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups tiny pasta like ditalini, alphabet, etc
- fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take 1 to 2 tablespoons of the finely grated manchego and place it in piles on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 to 2 inches in between each. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the manchego has melted and is bubbly. Cook completely on the baking sheet.
- 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 sherry and 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. The manchego should be cool at this point and can easily be broken into pieces to thrown on top. Enjoy!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
That bite though.
55 Comments on “Homemade Spaghettios with Crunchy Manchego.”
This is bold – love it. Spaghettios done RIGHT!
thanks love!
Can you make this as a casserole? Our son is in college and he would love this.
Thank you.
hi kristen!! so the issue with making it in a casserole is that the pasta will suck up all the liquid, you know? even as i took these photos, you can kind of see how the pasta absorbed more liquid in the bowl (as opposed to the photo of it in the saucepan) as it sits. I have reheated the leftovers and while they are still really good, they aren’t soupy – more like a regular pasta without a sauce, just flavor. does that make sense??
Hi Jess, what’s a good cooking sherry to use?
Pretty sure I’m going to be extra and make the meatballs from the meatball salad in TPD to add to this!
Where did u find that meatball recipe?
It’s in her book, The Pretty Dish. It’s a meatball salad and the meatballs are to die for!
Oh yes! Thank u!
Oh my goodness! So much nostalgia right now. I cannot wait to try this!
These look amazing, and I can’t wait to try this as soon as I find the right type of pasta here in the UK!
I make SK Pasta e Cece ALL the time! Love the adapted version sans chickpeas…that Manchego though! *heart eyes*
what a fun throwback, haven’t seen this shape in a bowl in so long, love the home made recipe and manchego, thank you!
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I admit, I was pretty suspicious of this recipe when I first saw it post. I was never a huge fan of spaghettios (I was a weird child), so a copycat version wasn’t appealing to me. But, I wanted to see what the ingredients were, and I saw that the list includes SHERRY. I love anything with sherry in it (lookin’ at you, lobster bisque). LOVE. So, now I am greatly intrigued. I also have cute mini wagon wheel pasta that would work quite well with this recipe… I may have to give spaghettios another shot. :-D
What is a good non alcholic substitute for the cooking sherry? Thanks!
Not only is it ADULT SPAGHETTIOS!!!!!!!, but also that you found spaghetti o pasta is amazing! Looks so yummy, and I can’t wait to make it!
I found this one a while ago on Smitten and my 3 girls went crazy for it. I ended up modifying it slightly to over time. I love it with lentils instead of chickpeas and have also thrown in quinoa instead or with the pasta.
i must say, this looks even better than the regular canned stuff. i’m seriously considering making this myself, thanks for sharing!
Omg… I’ve been making the smitten kitchen version for awhile now, and am obsessed… but that manchego addition?! Cannot wait to try!! 😍😍
I didn’t even know we could buy dry O shaped pasta!
OH EM GEEEEE. This is beyond incredible!
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I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. I didn’t do the manchego because I was being lazy, and I didn’t use the sherry because I couldn’t get mine open 😂 It was just so good. I am a long time spaghettios lover, and I like to stir in lots of cheddar, which I did with this version too. Just perfect!
One question: where does one go to mine garlic? I’d love a garlic mine!!
(Sorry, but that’s the best typo I’ve seen in a long time.)
Seriously though, making it this weekend. So excited!
These were delicious and super simple! i didn’t have the cheese so skipped that part and instead had some nice toasted and buttery slices of garlic sourdough. I didn’t think it would be so tasty from such simple ingredients that i always have around but it was! yum. (oh i also subbed apple cider for sherry as i didn’t have any and i found the sub online, worked great).
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We made this last night and it was a hit! I didn’t like spaghettios growing up, so I made this with my husband in mind. However, it was super tasty! A more sophisticated version for sure and would please kids and adults. I didn’t feel like making the manchego crisps (which I’m sure add a finishing touch!). Instead, I used Trader Joe’s oven baked cheese bites. So good and crunchy and savory and cheesy!
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So delicious! I did modify a little. I used ditalini and added a little white wine when the liquid got too low. I think it really enhanced the flavor. Also added some cooked green lentils for protein And a little extra garlic powder and dried basil. Otherwise made it as directed and my family devoured it!
can’t wait to try this and have most ingredients EXCEPT any substitute for the sherry?? thanks!!
hey!! add about 1-2 T apple cider vinegar if you have it. or red wine vinegar. use broth/stock/water for the remaining liquid to make up the amount!
Serving size?
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Hi there! For a family of four should I double the recipe?
yes i suggest doubling it!
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I make this a lot for my toddler without the manchego! She loves it and eats one batch all week for meals here and there. Is there any suggestion to get it to be better leftover and less “sticky”? Add chicken broth when I reheat maybe?
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Super delicious! Next time I’m making a double batch because it was so good it didn’t last long.
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My daughter said it was one of the best things I had ever made and requested it in the rotation again soon!
Very good. Used Pinot Grigio. However, if serving to toddlers I would cut black pepper in half or only 1/4 tsp. Adults can add more when served. I cut some of the pepper taste by adding half and half to the kiddos. Thank you!
I made this with Orzo & it turned out delicious. Great recipe and the Manchego Cheese adds a special touch. My toddler loved the crispy Manchego
Not sure if I missed something (besides not having a cheese topping). But it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It was okay, but not the happy childhood memory type thing I was hoping for.
Also I’m not sure if this was due to the type of pasta (Ditali) but it felt like it should have had more liquid, and definitely took more than 20 minutes. I’ll probably try this again, but add some dehydrated onion to the oil/paste base- I’m a huge onion lover. And probably another cup of broth, by the time I let it simmer to be soft enough, there was virtually no liquid left.
Where did you find actual o pasta?
amazon!