Description
A delicious and uniquely Filipino twist on classic spaghetti featuring a sweet-style sauce blended with banana ketchup, savory ground pork, and sliced hot dogs. This comforting dish is topped with freshly grated cheese for a rich finish, perfect for family meals or casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- ½ pound lean ground pork
- 6 ounces dry spaghetti
- 1 cup sweet-style spaghetti sauce
- ⅓ cup banana ketchup
- 1 small finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 pieces diagonally sliced red hot dogs
- ½ cup freshly grated cheese
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ¼ cup water (pasta water reserved)
Instructions
- Boil Spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the dry spaghetti until al dente, following package instructions. Drain the pasta and reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water for later use.
- Brown the Pork: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the cooking oil. Add the lean ground pork and brown it thoroughly, breaking it apart with a spatula. Once browned, drain off any excess fat and set the pork aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, add the chopped yellow onions and sauté until they become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Combine Pork and Season: Return the browned ground pork back to the skillet with the sautéed onions and garlic. Season lightly with salt and coarse black pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes while stirring regularly to incorporate flavors.
- Add Hot Dogs: Add the diagonally sliced red hot dogs into the skillet. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the hot dogs to slightly brown and meld with the pork mixture.
- Add Sauces and Simmer: Pour in the sweet-style spaghetti sauce, banana ketchup, and reserved pasta water. Stir everything to combine thoroughly. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and to deepen the flavors.
- Season and Reserve Sauce: Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed. Then transfer half of the sauce into a separate bowl to be used as topping later.
- Coat Spaghetti: Add the cooked al dente spaghetti into the remaining sauce in the skillet. Toss and stir well to fully coat the pasta with the flavorful sweet-style sauce.
- Serve and Garnish: Plate the coated spaghetti and on top add the reserved sweet-style sauce. Finish by sprinkling the freshly grated cheese generously over the dish before serving.
Notes
- For best results, use freshly grated cheese for a creamy texture and authentic Filipino flavor.
- You can substitute the red hot dogs with any preferred sausage or omit for a leaner dish.
- Adjust the sweetness by varying the banana ketchup quantity to suit your taste.
- Reserve pasta water is added to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the spaghetti.
- To enhance flavor, lightly brown the hot dogs and pork separately before combining.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 cup cooked spaghetti with sauce)
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
