Filipino-Style Spaghetti

Sweet, tangy, and rich, this meaty Filipino Spaghetti is Philippine’s take on the Italian Bolognese.

Watch the Filipino Spaghetti Recipe Video Below!

This is a very long overdue recipe. Seriously. I’ve been a Filipino food content creator for almost three years now and I still haven’t made a recipe on this staple dish.

Anyways, here it is in its glory. This Filipino spaghetti was based off of my mom’s recipe, so I had her taste this multiple times and got it tweaked just right to achieve her stamp of approval.

My mom’s version leans heavily into the meaty and umami side, so I made sure to put loads of ground beef and hotdogs into this recipe.

What is Filipino Spaghetti?

Filipino spaghetti has its origins from the classic Italian bolognese. Being introduced to the Filipinos by the Americans, the bolognese was ultimately tweaked and adjusted to fit the local tastes and whatever ingredients were available at the time.

The sauce is distinctly sweet, rich, tangy, and meaty, making it incredibly popular as a get-together food. That’s why in almost every Filipino party, you’ll most likely see this dish, beloved by kids and adults alike.

Some may be off-putted by the sweetness of the sauce, which I think is totally understandable if you haven’t been exposed to Filipino spaghetti before. True authentic Filipino spaghetti is meant to be sweet, which is why another dish, preferably savory, can help to balance out those flavors.

The most famous example of this is Jollibee, where they even have a combo serving both spaghetti and fried chicken together. I loved eating this as a kid, and even until now it’s one of my go-to’s whenever I visit.

And yes, this recipe does use the famous banana ketchup. Contrary to popular belief, it does not actually taste like bananas! It was first produced in the Philippines during World War II, and with a high demand of ketchup and a low supply of tomatoes, Filipinos had to become creative.

Bananas (which are abundant in the Philippines) became the foundation in order to manufacture a product to look and taste like American ketchup, giving birth to the modern day “banana” ketchup.

Nowadays, banana ketchup is not only used as a condiment, but it’s become a staple ingredient in numerous Filipino marinades (like my favorite: Soy Marinated Short Ribs!) and now, Filipino spaghetti.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Banana ketchup: This is the key ingredient to Filipino spaghetti. You can find this in almost all Filipino grocery stores, Asian markets, or maybe even in the international section of your supermarket. The two most popular brands are either UFC or Jufran, both of which are fairly similar in tastes.

• Substitutes: If you can’t find banana ketchup, you can use standard Western ketchup in its place. If you’re still slightly off-putted by putting ketchup in the recipe, feel free to use tomato sauce instead (you may just need to adjust the sugar in the recipe, since tomato sauce is tangier and less sweet than ketchup).

Filipino Red Hot Dogs: You can find these in most Filipino grocery stores, and some of its popular brand suppliers include Pamana, Viva, or Pure Foods.

• Substitutes: If you can’t find red hot dogs in your area, you can always replace it with standard beef hot dogs or even sausages instead, if you’d like.

Onion, garlic, black pepper: A classic set of aromatics helps form the base flavors for our spaghetti sauce.

Ground beef: We like going for lean ground beef to reduce the overall oiliness of the final spaghetti sauce.

• Substitutes: You can use any ground protein for this recipe, such as chicken, turkey, or pork. Feel free to also use minced mushrooms, chopped bacon, or even spam.

Beef Bouillon Cube: This will help boost the meaty and savory flavors of the recipe. You can purchase beef bouillon cubes in most Asian groceries.

• Substitutes: You can replace the beef cube with chicken, pork, mushroom, or vegetable bouillon.

Fish sauce: A little fish sauce always goes a long way. Some recipes vary in terms of omitting the fish sauce entirely or using soy sauce in substitute instead. Either way, I really think a dash of this stuff makes a subtle difference.

• Substitutes: You can also replace this with equal parts soy sauce. Salt to taste, may also work in place of fish sauce.

Tomato sauce, tomato paste: You can’t have a spaghetti without the tomatoes. Tomato sauce will provide most of the bulk for our sauce, while the paste will further intensify the tangy, tomato flavors.

Evaporated milk: While this might be an odd ingredient, the evaporated milk actually gives the sauce an added creaminess and richness. In my mom’s version, she’d directly add slices of cheese into the sauce and let it melt to achieve the same effect!

• Substitutes: You can use heavy cream or fresh milk if you’d like. Similar to my mom, you can also use slices of processed cheese (such as Eden or Velveeta) to achieve a similar richness. Otherwise, feel free to omit this if you prefer.

Sugar: Filipino spaghetti isn’t Filipino spaghetti without the sugar (yes, it’s needed, no exceptions). I made the recipe a range of 1-2 tablespoons, since I found that this was somewhat the “sweet” spot in terms of balance (i.e., not too bland, and too sickly-sweet). Feel free to adjust more or less to your preference, however.

• Substitutes: Some recipes may also call for condensed milk, which not only adds sweetness, but an added richness and creaminess as well.

Instructions

In a deep pot or pan, saute the onions in the olive oil until soft and translucent, about 5-7 mins. Add in the garlic, and continue to saute until the garlic is golden and fragrant.

Add in the ground beef. Season with the beef bouillon cube, fish sauce, and ground black pepper. Stir to combine and cook the beef until no longer pink.

Add in the tomato paste. Stir to coat the ground beef and cook the tomato paste briefly for 2 mins.

Toss in the Filipino red hotdogs, tomato sauce, and banana ketchup. Mix gently to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil, then let simmer over medium-low for 45 minutes with a lid. Stir occasionally to avoid scorching the bottom.

After 45 mins, stir in the evaporated milk and sugar. Season with more sugar or salt to taste.

Mix with cooked spaghetti pasta, and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Customize your spaghetti sauce: If you prefer your spaghetti less sweet, feel free to omit or add less sugar. If you prefer it more saucy, you can add additional pasta water to the sauce. Other versions of Filipino spaghetti also include additional minced veggies, such as with mushrooms, carrots, and/or celery.

Use the recipe as a guide, but you have creative freedom to tweak it as you wish (there are, after all, tons of variations of Filipino spaghetti!).

Properly prepare your pasta: For great flavor throughout, be sure to salt your boiling water to season your pasta. Remember that your raw spaghetti should only be thrown into the water while it’s boiling! There’s no need to oil your spaghetti as oiling can prevent the sauce from adequately clinging onto the noodles.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

I don’t have banana ketchup, what else can I use?

You can always use an equal amount of standard tomato ketchup in place of the banana ketchup. If you prefer not to add ketchup at all, you may add an extra teaspoon of sugar to account for the sweetness.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover spaghetti sauce can be stored for up to 5 days refrigerated in an airtight container. I’d recommend keeping the pasta and spaghetti sauce separate during storage for optimal flavor and texture.

When ready to serve, simply heat the sauce in the microwave or over stove-top until warm and mix with freshly boiled pasta.

Can I freeze this?

You can freeze the spaghetti sauce for up 3 months. To warm, let the sauce thaw overnight in the fridge until softened, then gently reheat in the microwave or over stovetop until it returns to a sauce-like consistency.

How do I serve this?

Filipino spaghetti is typically served family-style, meaning you would mix the boiled pasta along with the sauce, and plate it in a large container to be shared by everyone in potlucks or get-togethers.

For smaller servings, I’d recommend boiling just enough pasta for whoever’s eating, and spooning the sauce on top of the pasta with some shredded cheese.

Craving for more classic Filipino recipes? Here’s a couple that you might enjoy:

• Chicken Adobo
• Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles)
• Bistek (Filipino Beef Steak)
• Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Omelette)