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! So good!
(Looking for another Filipino noodle dish? This easy pancit canton recipe is another favourite Filipino recipe you can try.)
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?
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
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 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 (add some smoked party ribs!)
It’s a great weekday meal too. Who says everyday can’t be special?
Hope you try it!
(Looking for more pasta recipes? This slow cooked minced pork ragu is delicious and this lemon caper pasta is perfect if you’re looking for a bright and light lunch!)
Filipino dessert recipes
Are you having people over? These Filipino dessert recipes are always a hit.
- 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
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
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy cooking!
Did you make this Filipino spaghetti recipe? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
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Sarmistha Goswami
I thought spaghetti was an Italian dish only. Didn’t know about the Filipino version of it. Would love to try out the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Tonya Wilhelm
Oh, this recipe looks amazing. Such a better option than plain old spaghetti. I think I can actually do this one!
Akamatra
As a Greek I love pasta but I haven’t really tried Filipino cuisine. I’d love to be adventurous though and try something different!
jhilmil
Wow, this sweet and salty spaghetti looks delicious and I’m sure my son would love it . Shall make it this weekend.
Trish
I gotta try your recipe as I just usually rely on ufc or del monte spaghetti sauce. Your recipe seems perfect with the salty Filipino eden cheese!
What specific kind of hotdog do you use? Too bad there are no red hotdogs here!
Jolina
Hi Trish! We buy Filipino style hotdogs at the Asian supermarket. I think they’re called Pinoy Delight or something?? Yeah too bad there’s no Purefoods hotdogs here!!
Soonjoo
Yum! Banana Ketchup sounds really interesting! I tend to get overwhelmed to try different cuisine at home (I’m worry if I loose the originality of the dish) but this recipe is super easy to follow for me! Totally want to try this for dinner 🙂
Liz Mays
This is such a cool idea. I’d like the change of pace from our usual pasta dishes. The sweetness might be nice.
Heather Johnson
My kiddos and I love all things pasta! This Filipino style spaghetti sounds like a delicious version of the classic!
Ana De- Jesus
Woah I love the sound of banana ketchup and filipino style spaghetti. It is interesting that it is sweeter than your traditional spaghetti dish and it is something that I am very intrigued to try too!
Ruth Epstein
OMG this sounds so good, I have a close friend who makes Filipino food so am going to share this with her and see if she will make it , yummmmm
Jolina
Thanks Ruth! Or you could cook some Filipino style spaghetti for her out of the blue 🙂 That would be quite the surprise!
Nichole
I love pasta and this one sounds delish! I’m going to bookmark it for after the crazy busy holiday season!
Neely Moldovan
This sounds so good! I love pasta and this sounds like the perfect dish!
Anita Anderson
Mmmm, this is a mouth-watering recipe. My family would love this.
Scott
That certainly sounds like an interesting variation on classic Italian spaghetti. I would love to try it at least once!
Dawn
Where is the time going? I’m not quite in Christmas mode yet, but getting there. And I totally get that Sheldon reference…one of my favourite shows!! We always watch the marathon that is on during the holidays. This spaghetti sounds super interesting, Jolina…and on the sweeter side you say? I would love to try it! Love the cheddar cheese on top! That’s the icing on the cake…or, er, cheese on the spaghetti 😉 Have an awesome week!
Jolina
Hi Dawn! I usually smother mine with cheese teehee. Love that stuff. When I saw that Big Bang episode (I love how he says it I-talian haha) I immediately thought OMG we like the same kind of spaghetti we’re totally friends LOL. Happy Sunday!