Filipino-style spaghetti is an interesting take on the Italian bolognese. Made with banana catsup and hot dogs, it's not your ordinary pasta dish! It's meaty, perfectly sweet and savory, and cheesy for the ultimate midday snack or main dish.
I had so many fond memories of Filipino-style spaghetti growing up. It probably didn't do my waist service, but I was seriously obsessed with this pasta dish.
Would you believe I ate the stuff five days a week for four years? Seriously. My high school cafeteria sold spaghetti to students and every day the packed lunch my mother made with tender loving care went untouched because I would instead spend my meager allowance on a plateful of the beet-red noodles.
I don't know what it is but there is just something so awful yet addictive about red hot dogs in banana catsup sauce.
To this day, Filipino spaghetti remains my favorite comfort food. I no longer eat it five days a week, of course, but I make it often enough at home that G has grown to love it just as much. If you find him hovering over me while I cook you can bet it's Pinoy spaghetti. 🙂
How to make Filipino spaghetti
The steps to Filipino Spaghetti are similar to making regular spaghetti bolognese. The ground beef is first browned with aromatics and then simmered in tomato sauce and choice of herbs until thick and hearty.
What sets our local version apart is the addition of sweet banana catsup and Filipino-style hotdogs to the meat sauce plus the grated cheese topping when the pasta is served.
Cooking tips
- If you don't have access to banana catsup, use tomato ketchup in equal amounts and add a teaspoon or so of sugar to achieve the sweet and savory characteristics of Filipino spaghetti.
- You can substitute ham, Spam, bacon, or Vienna sausages for Filipino hot dogs to add a smoky flavor.
- Boost texture and nutrition by adding veggies such as mushrooms.
Serving suggestions
Sweet-style spaghetti makes a hearty and tasty midday snack or a main dish for lunch or dinner. Top it with shredded quick melt cheese and enjoy with garlic bread and green salad.
It also makes a great addition to any party or special gathering menu. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
How to store leftovers
- For best results, store the meat sauce and noodles in separate containers as the pasta tends to absorb a lot of the sauce and gets mushy.
- Transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up 2 months.
- To reheat, submerge the frozen spaghetti in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes and heat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until internal temperature reads 165 F. Alternatively, drop the noodles directly into the simmering sauce and cook until the desired temperature is reached.
More Pasta Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 Filipino-style hotdogs, sliced diagonally
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 bell pepper, seeded, cored and chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup banana ketchup, preferably sweet and spicy
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup quick-melt cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, cook spaghetti in salted boiling water according to package's direction for about 7 to 9 minutes or until firm to bite. Drain well.
- In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add sliced hot dogs and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add onions, garlic, and bell peppers to pan. Cook until softened.
- Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces until lightly browned. Drain any excess fat.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, and beef broth. Stir in sugar.
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer, covered, for about one hour or until meat is fully cooked and sauce is thickened. If the sauce is getting too thick, add water in ½ cup increments as needed.
- During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add browned hot dogs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, spoon spaghetti sauce over noodles and top with shredded cheese.
Notes
Video
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
April says
I just tried it today and mine tasted so close to jolli spaghetti! I suuuuuuper loved it. I really appreciate this great website. Thanks a lot for sharing your wonderful recipes! Keep it up! For those who criticize our very own Filipino food, I pity you. All you can do is criticize just because you don't like it. We are proud and enjoying our great tasting food, and that’s what matters. Just cook your own food the way you want it, we're just loving our own and who cares if a foreigner does not like it? Are we gonna be the one to adjust on your culture? You have your own food, so do we! Just respect if you know the word. Have a nice day, everyone! I was just so happy! Lots of love! 😘😘😘
Lalaine Manalo says
Thanks for the feedback, April.
Yan says
Can I use different cheese? Sharp cheddar maybe?
Lalaine Manalo says
I prefer to use Eden brand as it is creamy and melts well, but yes, you can use sharp cheddar if you like.
Oliver Jomadiao says
I love your recipe! Thank you 😊
Lalaine Manalo says
You're welcome. I am glad you liked it 🙂
Yuck says
I just threw up reading this. Filipino food is basically if you forced a stoner with munchies to dig through his fridge at 4 am.
Lalaine Manalo says
I have no words for your rudeness or intolerance of other people's cultures and preferences.
Maria Fernandez says
I definitely have words for you, your name says it all. Yuck!
If you can't post a decent comment then keep your nonsense comments to yourself. I pity you. you're such a hater. Grow up!
Doreen says
My family loves this. Do you think this would work in a crockpot?
Lalaine Manalo says
I've never tried this in a crockpot but I have a spaghetti recipe for Instapot 🙂
Felina says
Hi Lalaine,
Just wanted to say Thank You for all these recipes you share to all of us. I have your website bookmarked so it's always easy for me to look it up when i'm at the grocery hunting for ingredients 🙂
This Pinoy spaghetti recipe is just yummy and both my son and husband love it. I tend to tweak it a bit sometimes instead of the red hotdogs, i'd use sausage still comes out delish.
Tonight i'm using both this and your Buko salad recipe. So glad to have found your website. Keep cooking and sharing those yummy authentic Filipino dishes. God speed!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Glad I can help!
neena camince trabasas says
i like ti know cooking
John Hermoso says
Hi Lalaine!
Thank you for sharing this recipe of yours. I will surely try this tomorrow night for our church group meeting. It will definitely be a hit menu! Yeah!!!..😃
Lalaine says
I hope they like it 🙂
Rosemary Alto says
I love Filipino food, is there a person who has a recipe for Latiza a desert with cinnamon? I would like more recipes wow!
Lalaine Manalo says
I've never heard of Latiza before but will definitely look into it 🙂
cherryl says
update for my email recipes book Filipino food
cherryl says
update for my email recipes book Pilipino food
Harold says
Gonna try this today . Hehehe It's my mom's birthday. 🙂
Lalaine says
Happy birthday to your mom! I am sure she'll enjoy and appreciate your cooking for her 🙂
Manuel says
Ughhh an insult to Italians and a unhealthy way of raising children towards diabetes
Ira says
Sorry but a dish is influenced by different cultures. Just because a person from a different culture cookspasta a certain way does not mean they are insulting your culture’s cuisine. The Philippines have dishes that were inspired by different countries: Malaysia, Spain, China, Japan, etc. We are not insulting anybody, take it as a compliment that your culture inspired others. Everyone is different and nobody makes a dish the same way. Please understand that.
Sophia says
Did you forget that Noodles are traced back to Chinese...many Filipino people and all South East Asian's have some Chinese DNA? Also, I was born and raised in Veneto State of Italy. Also in Lombardy and Romano State's.. Spaghetti with a heavy tomato based sauce with or without meat you will not find. Spaghetti with sauce was born in America by American - Sicilian's because Pasta was a go to stomach filler. In Italy, it is a side dish. We eat more Fresh Fish and Poultry, Rabbit, Wild Game, Sheep and Goat. We also use Mozzarella di bufala italiana...or water buffalo Mozzarella cheese from the Campania region famous for it on our pizza's and and dishes because it is far superior than cow's milk in taste, nutrition and is more digestible. Just remember Spaghetti and meat ball's is an American-Italian invention made out of necessity to fill the hungry children tummy's in the slum's of New York City. We don't feed it here in Italy 🇮🇹.
Jane says
You are so arrogant and annoying...🙄
Steve says
Doesn't stop him from being right. Food has many regional differences, and gatekeeping like that original response keeps him from enjoying something tasty and new.
Grace Von Cruz says
Will not feed the children sugar itself, it was just a small amount of additional flavour as it says.
Hope everyone knows how to respect others.
We love this recipe so much.
More power Lalaine!
Emily says
Good day ma'am, advance happy new year. uhm is it okay without ketchup?? and oh, 1 kg of sweet style tomato sauce is equivalent to how much grams tomato paste?? hope for your response.. thanks...
Lalaine says
Yes, you can omit the ketchup if you're using sweet style tomato sauce 🙂
Manila Girl says
Cooked this now. Great recipe, as usual! Thanks!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thanks for the 5-stars!
Ally says
Hi Ate Lalaine, do you think it would be ok to leave out the beef broth?
Lalaine says
Yes, water is fine 🙂
Bill Muncton says
Is this tasty ?
Or is it another thing like halo-halo, baluts, or bangus, which are definitely acquired tastes. I have traveled by land completely around the world, east to west, eating all manner of street food, and I can tell you without a doubt, the cuisine of the Philippines is certainly not one of the most memorable
Lalaine Manalo says
It is memorable to us.