Filipino Spaghetti

Jay and I are huge fans of Filipino spaghetti! Every summer, our dear friends invite us over for a traditional filipino cookout. We both leave that party with such full bellies and hearts! When we need our quick fix after a long day of work, Jay picks up a family size order of spaghetti along with fried chicken and mango peach pies from Jolliebee, located by Port Authority. On the weekends, we love to make a big batch that would feed us while we enjoy the company of friends and family. I hope you give this popular and loved recipe a try and enjoy a taste of the Philippines.

For those who are unfamiliar with what Filipino spaghetti is, it is a sweet spaghetti that resembles bolognese. The sweetness comes from the banana ketchup, which is a very traditional condiment from the Philippines.

 
 
 

Filipino Spaghetti

Prep time: 20 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

Kosher salt

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 pound 80/20 ground beef

Freshly ground black pepper

3 hot dogs, diced into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups banana ketchup*

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup shredded American cheese

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season generously with kosher salt. The water should taste like the sea. Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain well in a colander and set aside.

  2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium hight heat and add vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grounds of black pepper. Breaking up into bite size pieces with a wooden spoon. Once beef is slightly brown, about 2 minutes, add hot dogs cubes and cook until they are golden brown about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

  3. Add the onion and garlic into the Dutch oven. If the ground beef did not render a lot of fat, about 2 tablespoons, add an additional tablespoon of vegetable oil. Cook and stir occasionally until onions have soften, about 3 minutes. Add banana ketchup, crushed tomatoes, sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, few grounds of black pepper and the browned ground beef and hot dog mixture. Stir until well combined and adjust heat to medium low. Let simmer until slightly thicken, about 8 minutes. If you prefer looser sauce, add the stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of pasta water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. Transfer the cooked spaghetti to a platter. Generously spoon all the sauce directly on top. Garnish with shredded cheese. Toss until well combined before enjoying warm.

Cook’s Note

What is banana ketchup?
Banana ketchup is a very popular condiment in the Philippines. It is a ketchup like sauce but made from bananas rather than tomatoes along with spices, vinegar and sugar. If you can’t find banana ketchup, you can substitute with equal amounts of ketchup and stir in 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. My favorite brand is from Jufran.