Filipino Spaghetti

Filipino Spaghetti - made September 1, 2019 from The Unlikely Baker

I'm leapfrogging this post ahead of the other dishes I made earlier as I've gotten a couple of requests for the recipe after I posted a picture on Instagram. Apparently, I'm not the only one who likes Filipino spaghetti :). If you've never had Filipino spaghetti, here are the hallmarks to look for: it's typically made not only with ground beef or ground pork but it also includes slices of hot dog. Yup, hot dogs. It's also sweeter than its Italian spaghetti counterpart and that comes with both the inclusion of banana sauce and, in the case of this recipe, granulated sugar. That might sound weird but trust me, that's what makes it Filipino spaghetti in the first place.

Some recipes call banana sauce "banana ketchup". For the longest time, I didn't even want to try making Filipino spaghetti because I didn't want to buy banana ketchup. I literally thought it was a mixture of mashed bananas and ketchup. I don't like ketchup so ewwww. But banana ketchup is not ketchup at all. It really is banana sauce but with a touch of red food dye to make it look like ketchup. Don't ask me why unless it's made just for Filipino spaghetti and red is the color of spaghetti.

Whatever the reason, you're going to want to buy banana sauce/banana ketchup for true Filipino spaghetti. I got mine from an Asian grocery store and bought the Jufran brand, which is local to the Philippines. You can also get it from amazon if you don't have an Asian grocery store nearby but be warned that amazon is more expensive. Three 12-ounce bottles were $13.11 if you have prime but one 12-ounce bottle at the Filipino grocery store I went to sells it for $1.29. Yup, quite a price difference.

Beyond that, this is a pretty straightforward recipe to put together. Brown the hot dog slices first, set aside, then, like every other recipe for Filipino food that I've seen my mom make when I was growing up, you brown the garlic first then add the onions and stir until they're softened. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

I was pleasantly surprised this turned out so well. Meaning, it really did taste like Filipino spaghetti! It was just sweet enough but not too sweet and had the distinct taste of Filipino spaghetti. You'll know what I mean when you try it and compare it to more traditional spaghetti sauces. And it was so easy to make I feel emboldened enough to make it for my relatives when we gather for our upcoming family reunion. The kids will like the hot dogs, which, when I was a kid, was the whole point of Filipino spaghetti.

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 pound hot dogs, sliced into 1/2" thick pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
15 ounces tomato sauce
2 ounces tomato paste
4 ounces banana sauce
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1. Using a large saucepan over medium heat, fry hot fogs in oil until lightly brown around the edges. Remove from pan,
2. Using the same pan, saute garlic and onion until translucent and fragrant. Stir in ground beef and cook until the beef is browned, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the hot dogs, tomato sauce, tomato paste, banana sauce, heavy cream and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Serve meat sauce on top of cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with a generous helping of cheddar cheese, if desired. Serve warm.