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filipino spaghetti
J U MP T O R ECIPE • PR IN T R ECIPE
 CLICK HERE TO THIS RECIPE

Filipino Spaghetti.
It’s a thing. It’s a sweet, sticky, saucy, even-sold-at-McDonald’s thing.

Much like the pancit from last week, this meal was served at almost
every birthday party at the orphanage where I worked this last year,
usually mushed together on kids’ plastic plates with heaping piles of
steaming rice and some mixed vegetables. On this particular party day,
Auntie Elvira and Auntie Puriza invited me into the kitchen and showed
me how it’s done. Here’s the story, in pictures.

PS. Red hot dogs remain one of my unsolved mysteries about the
Philippines.
 filipino spaghetti

4.5 from 23 reviews

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hour Yield: 12-16 1x

PIN RECIPE

D ES CR IP TI ON

This recipe for every kid’s favorite – Filipino Spaghetti – comes

from the orphanage that I worked at for a year in Cebu. So simple,
so good.

IN G R ED IEN TS SCALE 1x 2x 3x

1 lb. spaghetti noodles

1 lb. Italian tomato sauce (the kind they used was called
“Italian” but tasted sweet and was very smooth in texture)
 8 ounces tomato paste

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons oil

1 lb. ground pork

½ cup minced carrots and red peppers

2 cups diced or thinly sliced hot dogs

1 cup water

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoning mix

7 ounces evaporated milk

grated cheese for topping (they use a processed cheese

similar to Velveeta)

IN STR U C TI ON S

1 Cook the noodles according to package directions. Set aside.

2 Place the garlic, onion, and oil in a large saucepan or skillet.

Saute for 3-4 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the
ground pork and brown the meat until it’s completely cooked.

3 Add the minced vegetables and hot dog pieces and stir to
combine. Add the water and allow the mixture to simmer for
10-15 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste to the
meat and continue to simmer the mixture for another 10-15
minutes. Add the evaporated milk and salt and stir until
incorporated.

4 Combine the noodles and the sauce in a large pot or mixing

bowl. Top with grated cheese. At Cherne they grate a
 processed cheese similar to Velveeta and let it melt into the
top layer of the spaghetti.

Serves 16
Calories Per Serving: 291

% DAILY VALUE

Total Fat 7.5g 11% Cholesterol 29.8mg 10%

Sodium 695.9mg 29% Total Carbohydrate 41.9g 14%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20% Sugars 13.3g

Protein 16.6g 33% Vitamin A 98.1µg 7%

Vitamin C 29.7mg 49%

did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram and hashtag it #pinchofyum

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Here’s my full post on the Children’s Shelter of Cebu website. While

you’re there, you can check out the special projects page to see if there’s
a need that you and your family could meet, like providing a meal
(maybe even spaghetti!) for an entire home of 30 children for $33.

These kids are so precious to us – thank you for getting excited about this
series with me and loving them from across the ocean!

{Just so you know: Many people have commented on this use of banana
catsup – a very sweet tasting catsup made from bananas, sugar, vinegar,
etc. – as being necessary for authentic Filipino spaghetti. For this recipe,
I am sharing what I was shown. These women are Filipinas, cooking for
Filipinos, and they did not use banana catsup in their spaghetti.
Comments that are negative or disrespectful towards them in any way
because of this will not be tolerated.}

AU G U S T 2 2 , 2 0 1 3

( filipino pancit recipe baked zucchini parmesan '

ABOUT LINDSAY

A little thing about me: I ♡ FOOD. I also love food

photography. I wrote an ebook that can help you
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150 comments

jess (jessinbelgium)
Loving these posts from across two oceans! Just adore the
Aunties.

08 /22 / 13 @ 6 : 1 0 AM reply

lindsay
Me too.

08 /2 2/ 13 @ 11 : 4 4 P M reply
 R E C I PE R AT IN G
michael sonye
Had this style of pasta this evening and though
initially a little sweet for my tastes,tweaking from
the spice cabinet did the trick. Took one Del Monte
Fillipino Style Sauce and added lots of
onion,pork,beef and turkey,smoked
paprika,shiracha and high grade sea salt. It made a
large pot of tasty sauce. Thanks for the post I will
try this recipe at another time. We have a Jolibee
around the corner in Hollywood.

0 6 / 26 / 1 6 @ 5 :3 0 AM reply

R E C I PE R AT IN G
anna
While the tweaking is interesting for your
liking…I wouldn’t change or suggest it for
this recipe because then its no longer an
authentic philipino spaghetti sauce :/

0 2/ 0 2 / 18 @ 10: 13 AM reply

lauren @ the highlands life

I love still hearing you talk about the Philippines so much. It’s a
blessing to see how the people effected you and even
things/recipes you learned over there and are sharing with us.

08 /22 / 13 @ 6 : 4 9 AM reply
tieghan
Pretty sure this is an amazing dish! My whole family would
love it and my gosh, it just looks so good! A fun twist on a
classic!

08 /22 / 13 @ 6 : 5 8 AM reply

nikki @ the road to less cake

That looks gorgeous. I love the pictures.

08 /22 / 13 @ 7 : 4 2 AM reply

erin | the law student's wife

Oh hot dogs! So many memories from going over to my grade
school BFF’s house after school. She’s Filipino and hot dogs
with rice was a staple for our snack. Red hot dogs: A beautiful
mystery that need never be solved.

08 /22 / 13 @ 8 : 2 0 AM reply
anna
Lol yes! I remember as well the sliced hot dogs with
baked beans..So simple yet so special

02 /0 2/ 1 8 @ 1 0: 1 6 AM reply

nena
I’m not Filipino and we eat hot dogs with baked
beans. Van de camp brand. I thought most people
did this as a snack.

0 8 / 21 /1 8 @ 7 : 51 PM reply
julie@withstyleandtaste
OMGSH……red hot dogs! What is up with that!! My mother is
from Saint Agatha, Maine so every summer we would visit my
grandparents. One item that I was sure I would have to eat is a
red hot dog. Being the kid that I was, I would take a bite,
politely wipe my mouth with my napkin where the red hot dog
was sure to land. How could a hot dog be red!
Since those younger years my parents built a summer house on
a beautiful lake in Saint Agatha. I have continued the tradition
with my husband and daughter of visiting one of the most
Northern parts of Maine. I will never forget the first experience
my daughter had when she saw a red hot dog. She was about 3
years old. We were doing a little grocery shopping for my
mother. She had red hot dogs on her list. When I put the hot
dogs in my carriage my daughter asked, what was that. I said,
red hot dogs. She replied, can I have pink hot dog? Who would
have thought your post today would have brought back such a
funny memory for me. Thanks Lindsay!

08 /22 / 13 @ 8 : 2 4 AM reply

karen
what a great story! thank you.

08 /2 3 / 13 @ 7 : 1 9 P M reply
dixya @ food, pleasure, and health
I dont eat pork but the idea of this spaghetti minus the pork is
too delicious.

08 /22 / 13 @ 8 : 4 7 AM reply

kayenne
Feel free to swap out the pork for chicken or beef. or even
canned tuna. we even have tuna hotdogs now.

08 /3 0/ 13 @ 11 : 05 P M reply

mary-clay @ cooking with the king

The version I’ve had of Filipino spaghetti is slightly different,
and it’s basically one of my favorite things ever. Your version is
beautiful!

08 /22 / 13 @ 8 : 4 8 AM reply

melanie @ carmelmoments.com
Looks delicious. My kids love spaghetti so I can’t imagine why I
couldn’t try this one out on them. And what kid doesn’t like hot
dogs? Thanks for the dinner inspiration!

08 /22 / 13 @ 9 : 1 5 AM reply
melissa belanger - a teaspoon of happiness
Wow. That looks surprisingly amazing. I have always been a
stickler on the way spaghetti sauce should taste, but these
ingredients just look perfect together. Can’t wait to give it a
try!

08 /22 / 13 @ 1 0: 24 AM reply

karen
Red hot dogs are a *thing* here in Nebraska. They’re called
Husker dogs here, and I absolutely flat out refuse to eat them,
partly because I did look up how they’re red. Still, that
spaghetti looks so good, I might have to make it, with normal
hot dogs, of course!

08 /22 / 13 @ 1 0: 28 AM reply
 R E C I PE R AT IN G
reda hicks
Lindsey,

Thank you so much for posting these! I travel to the Philippines

all the time, and have been looking all over for recipes so I can
make some of the traditional dishes at home. Also, my family is
adopting from the Philippines, and I want to learn how to make
some of these “comfort” foods so that our child will get a little
taste of “home” in his or her new home. Thanks for giving me a
place to start!!

Reda

08 /22 / 13 @ 1 0: 3 1 AM reply

lindsay
Wow – I smiled so big when I read this comment.
Thank you!

08 /2 2/ 13 @ 11 : 4 3 P M reply
 roxanne
First, Reda, I’d like to thank you for adopting a child from
the Philippines. May your blessings be multiplied a
thousand-fold!
As a Filipino, red hotdogs are “normal” to us ‘coz we grew
up eating them . I read an article long ago as to why
they color it red. Surveys were done, and apparently,
results showed that Filipinos like vibrant colors in food,
and “red” seems to be associated with delicious. Even
most of the sausages (or sausage links) you’ll find in the
local markets are colored red. And since we’re in the
topic of red hotdogs and banana catsup, those two are
great together!
And Lindsay, thanks for including Filipino cuisine on
your website for everyone to try!

03 / 18 / 1 4 @ 4 : 1 5 AM reply

erica {coffee & quinoa}

Hah red hot dogs – you probably don’t want to solve that
mystery. They used to serve those at my college dining hall and
call them “snappy red hot dogs.” I’ll steer clear. Love this
Filipino take on spaghetti!

08 /22 / 13 @ 1 0: 3 5 AM reply
jennie @themessybakerblog
Hotdogs–interesting. I like it. This spaghetti looks so good. I
love the addition of evaporated milk. I bet is makes a nice
creamy, velvety sauce. Yum!

08 /22 / 13 @ 1 0: 4 8 AM reply

adlin
milky spaghetty

05 / 30 / 18 @ 11 : 3 8 AM reply

R E C I PE R AT IN G
ginet
LOVE Filipino spaghetti, which basically differentiates with a
sweet tomato sauce. My mom and I use already-whipped up
sauce like Prego and add sugar for sweetness. My grandma
uses banana ketchup. I’m salivating as I type. Just came across
your blog. I look forward to following your recipes and seeing
the rest of your Filipino ones!

08 /22 / 13 @ 1 0: 5 6 AM reply

lindsay
The banana ketchup seems to be a theme! It’s a great
idea!

08 /2 2/ 13 @ 11 : 4 3 P M reply
gianne
For spaghetti to be Filipino spaghetti, it needs
three things: plenty of quick melt cheese, the red
hot dogs and banana catsup, especially the catsup!
This recipe sounds delicious and tempting but
unfortunately, it is a bit off. The way Italians turn
in their graves for what Filipinos have done to
spaghetti, Filipinos are now turning in their graves
for what Auntie has done to Filipino spaghetti.

0 8 / 26 / 1 3 @ 10 : 3 7 PM reply

gianne
Oh, forgive me! I owe Auntie an apology! I just
looked at the pictures and now understand why
she didn’t add catsup. She used the Del Monte
ready spaghetti sauce which is Filipino-style and is
already sweetened and has banana catsup mixed
in.

0 8 / 26 / 1 3 @ 10 : 43 P M reply
kayenne
i think a lot of filipinos are used to banana ketchup
since it used to be more readily available and more
affordable than spaghetti sauce before. there is a
particular brand that i like, UFC Tamis-Anghang
(Sweet-Spicy) banana ketchup… which gives the
spaghetti that slight acidic tang, at the same time,
sweet and spicy. it’s odd, but yummy.

Then, the noodles and sauce are tossed together til

almost dry. This makes it easier for the street
vendors to portion and sell in plastic bags. neater
to eat also as a street food without all the sauce
dripping. i used to eat that straight from the
plastic bag like i would a burger… no utensils
necessary.

0 8 / 3 0/ 1 3 @ 11 :09 PM reply

bunny balebia
oh!! childhood memories! i used to do that as
well, i mean eating the spaghetti out of the
plastic bag for afternoon snack everyday
before going home from school.

0 9 / 1 2 /14 @ 7 :2 0 AM reply
laura @ the rookie cook
This looks yummy, I’ll have to save it for later!
And I had never heard of red hot dogs either til I moved to
Eastern NC. They have them here all the time but I haven’t
touched one yet – gross-o! I intend on red hot dogs staying a
mystery to me!

08 /22 / 13 @ 1 2: 3 6 P M reply

eli's mom
I knew this would come next. I don’t put evaporated milk on
mine and just like what one of the comments said, I use banana
ketchup instead, too. Plus I use more than 2 TBSP of onions.
YUM!

08 /22 / 13 @ 2: 1 0 P M reply

alexe @ keys to the cucina

Mmm these pictures look amazing, and the hot dog is such a
unique Filipino touch to an otherwise Italian dish. Thanks for
sharing!

08 /22 / 13 @ 3 : 1 0 P M reply
 R E CI P E R AT I N G
kstorm
Salivating as I type this comment! I miss eating Filipino
spaghetti! Although, to make it much simpler, we use banana
ketchup. Yum!

08/2 2 /1 3 @ 4: 3 2 P M reply

lindsay
Interesting! I can see how that would work!

08 / 22 /1 3 @ 1 1: 4 1 P M reply

kim
Love that smile! She looks so passionate!

08/2 2 /1 3 @ 5 : 30 P M reply

lindsay
She’s amazing, that woman is.

08 / 22 /1 3 @ 1 1: 4 1 P M reply
christina @ the beautiful balance
This is such an interesting and unique recipe. I would have to
leave the hot dogs out but am interested in tasting this!

08/2 2 /1 3 @ 6: 2 7 P M reply

emily @ life on food

Maine has red hot dogs. They are so popular. My husband is
always trying to get me to bring some back with us.

08/2 2 /1 3 @ 6: 5 0 P M reply

shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com
My mom (from Sri Lanka) uses sliced hot dogs in a rice
casseroley type dish she makes – this Filipino Spaghetti looks
fantastic!

08/2 2 /1 3 @ 8 : 3 3 P M reply
jess
Evaporated milk in the spaghetti!? This totally blew my mind,
but actually sounds quite tasty. I bet the kids loved it. Thailand
is certainly teaching me that there’s no end to the ways that
evaporated milk (or sweetened condensed) can be put to use.

08/2 2 /1 3 @ 8 : 4 6 P M reply

lindsay
I know! That’s the secret, I guess. !

08 / 22 /1 3 @ 1 1: 3 9 P M reply

anna @ frugal for you

My Italian chemistry professor taught us to add a milk
product, which is basic, to spaghetti sauce, which is
acidic, to cut down on the sourness of the sauce (like in
Bogonese sauces) and evaporated milk probably doesn’t
curdle as much as plain old milk. I also add sugar
(Filipinos like sweet) or ketchup.

08 / 23 / 13 @ 1 0: 4 4 AM reply
julie
Sounds good! What is the seasoning that you use? And when is
it added?
Thanks!

08/2 2 /1 3 @ 8 : 5 0 P M reply

lindsay
The seasoning they use is called Magic Sarap and it just
adds a salty flavor! Any basic salty-type seasoning would
be fine. I think they added it with the meat.

08 / 22 /1 3 @ 1 1: 3 9 P M reply

kayenne
If you can’t find Magic Sarap, use chicken powder –
or even soup bouillon cubes. Quite similar.

Go light on the salt though, and just adjust

seasoning on the last minutes of cooking, as these
seasoning powders are rather salty already.

09 / 0 4 / 13 @ 3 :2 9 AM reply
ellen
Magic Sarap seasoning has been banned, I
heard. That’s why I stopped using it though
I’ve only used it 5 times when my friend
introduced it to me. That spaghetti looks
good. I don’t use evaporated milk in my
spaghetti but I will try adding it this
weekend.

01 / 0 9 /16 @ 12 :57 AM reply

karl
no it has not. its the same as msg and
buillon cubes.

07/ 12/ 17 @ 2: 57 AM

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