Filipino spaghetti is unlike any spaghetti you’ve had before. It strikes the perfect balance of sweet and savory, meaty and saucy.

There’s a reason it’s a staple at every birthday party.

It might not be what you’re used to, but that’s part of its charm. Before you make up your mind, give this version a try.

It’s my mom’s special recipe, the one I had to beg her to share.

She includes ingredients many people skip, like ground beef, carrots, and bell peppers, and that’s what makes this spaghetti so special.

One forkful, and you’ll see why this recipe means so much to me.

Why is it sweet?

Filipinos generally like a little sweetness in our savory dishes. Adobo sometimes has sugar, tocino is sweet, longganisa is sweet. So it makes perfect sense that our spaghetti sauce would follow the same path.

That flavor profile also makes it extra kid-friendly, which is probably why it became a staple at birthday parties.

Ingredients

• Ground Pork AND Beef. Most Filipino spaghetti recipes call for ground pork only, but my mom always uses both pork and beef. It just makes the sauce richer and more flavorful. You can absolutely use just pork if you prefer, but I love the combo.
• Carrots and Bell Peppers. Again, you won’t see these ingredients in classic versions, but I always add them. When minced finely, they melt right into the sauce giving it a deeper flavor.
• Filipino-Style Spaghetti Sauce. This is where Filipino spaghetti sets itself apart from Italian bolognese. I use a mix of sweet and 3-cheese spaghetti sauces for the perfect balance of sweet, cheesy, and creamy. You can find them at your local Asian grocery store.
• Cut-Up Hotdogs. Is it even Filipino spaghetti without hotdogs? Technically optional, but, it makes a difference. I use classic red Filipino hotdogs, the kind I grew up with, but regular hotdogs work just fine if that’s what you have.
• “Cheddar” Cheese. I put cheddar in quotes because Filipino cheddar is actually a processed cheese product, not traditional aged cheddar. If you prefer regular cheddar or another cheese, though, go for it. 

Should I Add Ketchup?

I don’t. 

Many Filipino spaghetti recipes call for banana ketchup. But personally, I don’t use it. I’m not a fan of the taste, and I also don’t love how it turns the pasta a bright red.

Ketchup is traditionally added to boost the sweetness of the sauce. But, the Filipino-style spaghetti sauces we’re using already bring all of that flavor without staining the noodles.

So for this recipe, skip the ketchup. The sauce does all the work on its own.

How to Make Filipino Spaghetti

Don’t knock it till you try it! Here’s how to make Filipino-style spaghetti at home.

1. Prep the Vegetables. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Mince the carrot and bell pepper into small pieces.
2. Boil the pasta. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Sauté the aromatics. Sauté the garlic and onion in a large pan over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Brown the meat. Add the ground pork and beef. Cook, breaking the meat apart, until browned.
5. Cook the vegetables. Stir in the minced carrot and bell pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until tender.
6. Simmer the sauce. Pour in the spaghetti sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until thickened and a light layer of oil rises to the top.
7. Season to taste. Taste the sauce and adjust with sugar and salt as needed.
8. Add the hotdogs. During the last 10 minutes of simmering, add the sliced hotdogs and cook through.
9. Assemble and serve. Toss the sauce with the cooked spaghetti. Top generously with shredded cheese, then serve and enjoy.

Tips

• Salt the pasta water generously. This ensures the pasta itself is well seasoned. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt for every 4 to 6 quarts of water. 
• Cut vegetables very finely. Mince the carrot and bell pepper nice and small. You don’t want to bite into noticeable chunks. Instead, the vegetables should blend right into the sauce.
• Grate your own cheese. Block cheese melts better and tastes fresher than pre-shredded varieties. If you have a few extra minutes, grate it yourself.
• Try Filipino cheese. In true Filipino fashion, I use Filipino-style processed cheese in my spaghetti. It’s not traditional aged cheddar, but it tastes like home to me. You can find it at your local Asian market, but feel free to use cheddar or any cheese you like.
• Let the sauce simmer. Give the sauce time to develop flavor. Cook it until thick and rich, with a light layer of oil rising to the top. That’s a sign the flavors have fully come together.
• Adjust the sweetness. The amount of sugar you need depends on the sauce you use. Filipino-style spaghetti sauces are already seasoned to suit the Filipino palate, so you may only need a little or none at all. If you’re using regular tomato sauce, you’ll likely need to add more sugar to achieve that classic sweet-savory flavor.
• Add hotdogs near the end. They cook quickly, so stir them in during the last few minutes to heat through without losing their texture.

How to store Filipino-style Spaghetti

If you don’t plan to eat it all the same day, keep the sauce and noodles in separate containers. The pasta will absorb too much sauce when stored together and will turn overly soft.

To store: Transfer pasta and sauce to separate airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

To reheat: Warm the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until cooked through. Soak pasta in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes to loosen, then combine with the sauce.

Filipino Spaghetti

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Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 50 minutes mins

Filipino spaghetti strikes the perfect balance of sweet and savory, meaty and saucy. There’s a reason it’s a staple at almost every party.

Servings 12 people

Course Main Course

Cuisine Filipino

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 small medium diced
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 small carrot finely minced
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper finely minced
• ▢ 2 pounds spaghetti
• ▢ ½ pound ground pork
• ▢ ½ pound ground beef
• ▢ 1 kg Filipino-style spaghetti sauce
• ▢ Sugar to taste
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ Shredded cheese for garnish
• ▢ 5 hotdogs sliced into rounds

Instructions

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1. Dice the onions and mince the garlic, carrot, and bell pepper.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the ground pork and ground beef. Cook, breaking the meat apart, until browned.
5. Stir in the minced carrot and bell pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
6. Pour in the spaghetti sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and a light layer of oil rises to the top.
7. Taste the sauce and adjust with sugar and salt as needed.
8. During the last 10 minutes of simmering, add the sliced hotdogs and cook through.
9. Toss the sauce with the cooked spaghetti. Top generously with shredded cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving12 gCalories563 kcalCarbohydrates61.4 gProtein27.7 gFat21.9 gSaturated Fat9.6 gCholesterol70 mgSodium661 mgPotassium278 mgFiber2.9 gSugar4.5 gCalcium161 mgIron4 mg