If you grew up around a Filipino family, you’ve more than likely seen Filipino Style Spaghetti at your birthday party tables. The common noodle dishes in Filipino homes include the sweet and salty variations of pancit (for long life, of course) and the creamy, rich carbonara. But most popular still is the classic Pinoy Spaghetti –– packed with meat, tomatoes, and sugar in a dish we all know and love.
What makes Filipino Style Spaghetti so unique to other variations of the classic pasta dish is its sweetness! We Filipinos have an almost incurable sweet tooth, and we never miss our chance to sugar things up –– even in meaty, savory dishes like spaghetti! The ingredients to this spaghetti version sound a little odd at first –– sugar? Banana ketchup? Hotdogs? –– but they all come together in the end for a meal you really can’t get enough of! I
This dish is a common offering at many birthday parties, especially for children. Paired with a delicious fried chicken and orange juice or Coke, it’s really hard not to adore the combination of flavors! I like to have mine with a piece of toast, sometimes even with garlic bread. The rich mix of sweet and savory in the spaghetti makes it a delicious meal, be it for lunch, merienda, or dinner.
Many fast food restaurants in the Philippines have taken Pinoy Spaghetti and made it one of their main dishes. Brands of flavoring and condiments have added Pinoy Style Spaghetti Sauce to their list of offerings; you can find these in supermarkets around the country. You can find a recipe where I use store-bought sauce here. This is for people who don’t have a lot of time to make the Pinoy Spaghetti sauce from scratch, but still want to have that bite of comfort. However, I still add ground pork to this to make it a little meatier.
But did you know that to make homemade Pinoy Spaghetti Sauce is easy, too? A lot of the ingredients for Pinoy Spaghetti can be easily found in any typical Filipino household; this is what makes it so well loved in the first place. I like this recipe best because it’s just the right balance of sweet and meaty. You might want to try the baked version sometime, this baked cream cheese spag is a perfect candidate.
In just a few steps, you’ll get to serve this comfort food to your family in no time!
How to Make Filipino Style Spaghetti
Prepare all the ingredients before delving into the actual cooking proper. In a large pot, add in water and bring it to a boil. Don’t forget to sprinkle salt in the water to give the pasta flavor even before adding in the other ingredients! Add in your 2 lbs (or around 1 kilogram) of spaghetti noodles into the pot, and let it cook according to package instructions. You don’t want your pasta to end up too limp nor too tough, after all. Cooking your spaghetti according to package instructions should give you the optimal pasta texture you’re after.
Now it’s time to make your Pinoy spaghetti sauce! With a separate pan, take your minced garlic and diced onion and sauté the two together. Once your onions have become more tender, it’s time to add in your ground meat. I use either pork or beef. My Sausage and Basil Spaghetti shows that you can also make use sausage. Let it cook for 5 minutes or until the meat turns brown. Then add in your next meat: your hotdogs! I use 4 pieces of hotdogs, slicing them up into little bite-sized pieces.
Add in your tomato sauce, banana ketchup, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Stir these ingredients together and let them simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. This will let the Pinoy Spaghetti sauce thicken, as well as let the meat absorb the sweetness of the sugar and banana ketchup.
Once your sauce and noodles are ready separately, it’s time to combine them! Pour your hot Pinoy spaghetti sauce over your cooked noodles and mix them together. Last but not least, serve your shredded cheddar or Quickmelt on top! The cheese adds to the yummy flavor of Pinoy Spaghetti –– you simply can’t have spaghetti without it!
Transfer your pasta to a platter and serve it while hot. And there you have it –– your Pinoy Spaghetti is ready to be enjoyed! Have it at a party with friends or even just for yourself –– a nice, relaxing comfort treat after a long day.
Let us know what you think of this Pinoy Style Spaghetti!
Filipino Style Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lbs spaghetti
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Spaghetti sauce ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 4 pieces hotdogs, sliced
- 1 cup banana ketchup
- 28 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, optional
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 Tbsp. cooking oil
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti based on package instruction. Set aside.
- Make the sauce. Heat oil in a pan. Saute garlic and onion.
- Once the onion softens, add ground pork. Cook until the color of the pork turns light brown. Note: Separate lumps by pressing the tip of your cooking spoon.
- Add hotdogs. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour tomato sauce, banana ketchup, and water into the pot. Add sugar. Cover the pot and cook in low heat setting for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add tomato paste (as needed). Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Arrange spaghetti on a pasta bowl and top with Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce. Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese before serving.
- Share and enjoy!
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