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    Home » Recipes » Filipino Cuisine

    Filipino Style Spaghetti – Sweet and Salty!

    by Jolina | Published: November 27, 2017 | Last Updated: October 26, 2021 | 53 Comments
    This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Terms of Use for more information.

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    Easy Delicious Filipino Spaghetti Recipe
    Filipino Style Spaghetti - Sweet and Salty!
    Filipino Style Spaghetti
    Filipino Spaghetti Recipe

    Filipino style spaghetti is unlike any spaghetti you’ve had before. It’s sweet, made with banana ketchup, topped with a mountain of sharp cheddar cheese and has hotdogs! Get ready to spaghetti, Filipino-style (yeah I don’t know what that means either lol).

    (Looking for another Filipino noodle dish? This easy pancit canton recipe is another favourite Filipino recipe you can try.)

    Filipino Spaghetti Recipe
    Jump To hide
    What is Filipino spaghetti and what makes it sweet?
    What is Filipino style spaghetti sauce?
    How to cook Filipino style spaghetti
    What does it taste like?
    Filipino dessert recipes
    Filipino Style Spaghetti

    Just like that, Thanksgiving (American and Canadian) is over and our brain automatically goes on Christmas mode.

    Filipino spaghetti is one of my all time favourite things and it typically makes an appearance on our holiday menu (or any time we have a celebration). And I’m so happy to be sharing this recipe with you.

    What is Filipino spaghetti and what makes it sweet?

    Filipino Spaghetti Recipe

    Unlike Italian spaghetti which is more on the acidic side because of all the tomatoes, Filipino spaghetti is sweeter; it actually has sugar in the list of ingredients.

    Banana ketchup too (sometimes it’s called banana sauce here). It’s the more commonly available variety in the Philippines (Jufran, anyone?) with many considering tomato ketchup too sour.

    Filipino spaghetti also has hotdogs in it (just like how Sheldon likes it!).

    Filipinos are great at improv and since beef is expensive, we use the cheaper, more readily available hotdog to make the dish meatier.

    What is Filipino style spaghetti sauce?

    At first glance Filipino spaghetti sauce ingredients are very similar to that of regular spaghetti sauce (ground beef, tomato sauce, garlic, onions) but look closer and you’ll find:

    • hotdogs
    • banana ketchup
    • heavy cream
    • sugar

    Certainly unique but very delicious!

    (Though if you think about it, cream is not an out-this-world pasta ingredient. In fact I use it to make this delicious and creamy chicken spaghetti – a great recipe for leftover chicken!)

    How to cook Filipino style spaghetti

    Filipino Spaghetti Recipe

    What’s not unique is how to cook it. It’s easy and straightforward as can be.

    Fry the hotdogs until light brown around the edges. Remove from pan and using the same pan, sauté garlic and onion until translucent.

    Stir in ground beef and cook until the beef is browned.

    Add back the hotdogs. Plus the tomato sauce, tomato paste, banana ketchup, heavy cream and sugar.

    Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

    Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

    Serve meat sauce on top of cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with a generous helping of cheddar cheese (the more cheese, the better!).

    That’s all there is to it!

    What does it taste like?

    Filipino Spaghetti Recipe

    Filipino spaghetti is delightfully sweet and salty.

    Personally, I think Jollibee spaghetti is a really great example of how it should be done (a close second would be the spaghetti from Makati Supermarket of the 80s) but every family has its own take on the dish.

    Much like how you’ll find a million and one variations of adobo.

    What’s common is its place on our tables.

    Whether it’s Noche Buena, Christmas Day, or New Year’s Eve; Father’s Day, someone’s birthday or graduation, you’d most likely find spaghetti being served.

    It’s a great weekday meal too. Who says everyday can’t be special?

    Hope you try it!

    Filipino dessert recipes

    Are you having people over? These Filipino dessert recipes are always a hit.

    Ube Cake (Filipino Purple Yam Cake)
    Ube Cake (Filipino Purple Yam Cake)
    Brazo de Mercedes Cupcake (video)
    Brazo de Mercedes Cupcake (video)
    Easy Yema Cake Recipe
    Yema Cake
    Strawberry Refrigerator Cake (Strawberry Icebox Cake Filipino Style)
    Strawberry Refrigerator Cake
    • Ube cake or Filipino purple yam cake is not only stunning; it’s also delicious.
    • Brazo de Mercedes cupcakes are pretty and scrumptious too. They are easier to make than traditional Brazo de Mercedes but just as delicious.
    • This yema cake recipe is a soft and airy chiffon cake, with a rich and thick yema spread filling, and yema frosting that’s stable and so easy to decorate with.
    • Not in the mood to bake? This strawberry refrigerator cake (or the Filipino version of strawberry icebox cake) is the dessert for you.

     

    Filipino Style Spaghetti

    Filipino Style Spaghetti

    Author: Jolina
    Filipino style spaghetti is unlike any spaghetti you’ve had before. It’s sweet, made with banana ketchup, topped with a mountain of sharp cheddar cheese and has hotdogs!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Filipino
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 742 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tbsp oil we used canola oil
    • ½ lb hotdogs (about 6 pieces) sliced into ½ inch thick pieces
    • 1 pc medium onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 ½ lbs ground beef
    • 15 oz tomato sauce
    • 2 oz tomato paste
    • 4 oz banana ketchup
    • 2 tbsp heavy cream
    • ⅛ cup granulated sugar see notes
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 lb spaghetti cooked al dente
    • sharp cheddar cheese grated

    Instructions
     

    • Using a large saucepan on medium heat, fry hotdog in oil until lightly brown around the edges. Remove from pan.
    • Using the same pan, sauté garlic and onion until translucent. Stir in ground beef and cook until the beef is browned (5-6 minutes).
    • Add the hotdogs, tomato sauce, tomato paste, banana ketchup, heavy cream and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
    • Serve meat sauce on top of cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with a generous helping of cheddar cheese.

    Video

    Notes

    When tasting the meat sauce on its own, it will taste very sweet. So you might end up over-seasoning it with salt to offset the sweetness. A better way is to taste the sauce with some spaghetti. It will taste sweeter than your usual bolognese – what you’re looking for is a nice sweet and salty balance.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 742kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 34gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 787mgPotassium: 860mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 525IUVitamin C: 7.3mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 5.1mg

    Nutritional information are estimates only.

    Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating today!Also tag @iamtheunlikelybaker I’d love to see your creations.

    Happy cooking!

    Did you make this Filipino spaghetti recipe? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

    And let’s get social! Find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

    More Filipino Cuisine

    • Easy Cheese Cupcakes Recipe
    • Filipino Breads and Bakery Favorites
    • Ginataang Mais Recipe
    • Calamansi Pie Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. BRYAN L BOSS

      June 07, 2021 at 1:43 pm

      5 stars
      With minimal tweeking, this recipe is the bomb!!! I am the cook at our house. My wife filipino. She LOVES this recipe, I mean really loves it!!! Thank you for the recipe

      Reply
      • Jolina

        June 08, 2021 at 9:38 am

        That’s awesome Bryan! And you’re very welcome 🙂

        Reply
    2. Carol Cassara

      December 02, 2017 at 9:26 pm

      Sounds like an interesting take on our traditional spaghetti! Love that you made it sweet, I’m sure it’s a hit with the kids!

      Reply
    3. Gloria

      December 02, 2017 at 9:04 am

      I love fusion cooking, and this sounds wonderful. Nothing like mixing up some cultures for great flavours.

      Reply
    4. Mayuri Saxena

      December 02, 2017 at 2:48 am

      Yummmm…I love spaghetti pasta! I will definitely try Filipino style pasta as the recipe looks super easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    5. Glenda

      December 01, 2017 at 9:47 pm

      My family eat a lot of pasta. This Filipino style spaghetti looks so delicious.

      Reply
    6. Kim

      December 01, 2017 at 5:05 pm

      Wow this pasta looks SO yummy! I would love to make this for my fiancé!

      Reply
    7. Claire

      November 30, 2017 at 8:04 pm

      I love pasta and that spaghetti looks super delicious! I need to try making this at home with your recipe.

      Reply
    8. Neb

      November 30, 2017 at 5:50 pm

      Never heard of this before. The banana ketchup sounds very intersting, i really want to try that. Hot dogs in spaghetti, I am not sure about that. May have to make it just because.

      Reply
    9. Marisa Franca

      November 30, 2017 at 4:00 pm

      I’m always on the lookout for new cuisines. I haven’t tried Filipino style foods but I’d love to experiment with the different ingredients and flavors. Can you use anything other than hot dogs? I don’t think hubby would go for it. I would love just to make it for myself.

      Reply
      • Jolina

        December 03, 2017 at 2:16 pm

        Hi Marisa! Perhaps you can try sausages?

        Reply
    10. Michelle

      November 30, 2017 at 3:21 pm

      This looks like so much fun! I love this idea for a different take on spaghetti

      Reply
    11. Veena Azmanov

      November 30, 2017 at 2:54 pm

      That’s very interesting and looks so good. I have never eaten FIlipino style spaghetti before. I love trying new things so i’m pinning this for later.

      Reply
    12. Adriana Lopez Martin

      November 30, 2017 at 12:44 am

      Filipino food and Mexican fare have so much in common, this pasta sounds amazing. In Mexico we like sweet and salty combinations in many dishes. My family was used to prepare spicy pasta using pico de gallo as the base.

      Reply
      • Jolina

        December 03, 2017 at 2:17 pm

        Hi Adriana! I was just thinking that. A lot of our food even have similar names. Your spicy pasta sounds delicious!

        Reply
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