The Pioneer Woman’s Comfort Food Copycat Is So Much Better Than the Original

What of us adults doesn’t want to revisit the flavors of our favorite childhood foods every once in a while? Whether it’s enjoying a Strawberry Frosted Pop-Tart, pouring a bowl of Boo Berry, whipping up a Tuna Noodle Casserole, or sneaking an Uncrustable from the box you bought for your kid’s school lunch, the flavors of childhood are comforting.

Those who grew up in the latter half of the 20th century probably have another beloved food from their youth, SpaghettiOs, or as they were often referred to, “Uh-Oh SpaghettiOs.” The canned small pasta rings in tomato sauce were first manufactured under Campbell’s Franco-American label and later switched to Campbell’s signature label. One of the pasta’s first marketing campaigns dubbed them the spaghetti that kids “can eat with a spoon.”

Parents loved them because they could open a can, heat the pasta, and give their children a less messy way to eat spaghetti. Kids loved them because they were easy to eat, had a mild, cheesy tomato sauce, and they’d often be left in front of the TV to eat them, avoiding the inevitable “What did you do at school today?” question at the dinner table.

Ree Drummond, counts herself among those of us nostalgic for the old-school go-to. “I love SpaghettiOs,” said the home cook—better known as The Pioneer Woman—in a TikTok video as she demonstrated how to make a homemade version. She used to eat the OG canned version after school and before ballet, and she wanted to create a copycat recipe for one of her cookbooks.

The Pioneer Woman’s One-Pot Homemade O’s 

In the video, Drummond shows how simple it is to make a copycat, or perhaps we should say copycat-ish (we doubt the original uses fresh chopped rosemary) version of SpaghettiOs, calling them Homemade O’s.

First, she sautées onion and garlic in olive oil until they are soft. She then adds chopped rosemary, tomato paste, chicken broth, chili powder, cayenne, paprika, a generous amount of salt, and about half a cup of heavy cream and mixes it all well before cooking the pasta right in the tomato-enhanced chicken broth.

Drummond adds “anelletti” pasta, a circular pasta that’s similar to the shape used in SpaghettiOs, and lets the whole pot boil for about 12 minutes until the pasta is done. Finally, she adds grated Parmesan cheese and stirs it in to finish the dish.

“You’re going to love this,” she says as she eats a spoonful out of a bowl.

Are Homemade SpaghettiOs Any Good?

Allrecipes editor Andrea Lobas knew she had to try this recipe when saw it.

“I grew up on SpaghettiOs so I got an instant wave of nostalgia when I saw this homemade version. I could immediately recall the taste of the noodles in their tangy tomato sauce and just had to recreate it for myself. Luckily, I found the signature O’s—called Anella Siciliani—pretty easily at a local Italian market. Even better, I already had the rest of the ingredients in my pantry.”

She made The Pioneer Woman’s recipe in one pot, and in about 30 minutes, she was savoring a new favorite comfort food that “warms the heart.”

“I will definitely make these homemade O’s again (though without the cayenne next time). My family loved the recipe, too. It makes a perfect weeknight meal with a salad and will be a go-to when we’re not feeling well,” she said.

Her last piece of advice: “Just be sure to stir often! And serve with plenty of grated cheese.”