Filipino Spaghetti?!
If you’ve ever been to a Filipino birthday party, you might be familiar with the flavors held within Filipino spaghetti—not to be confused with Italian spaghetti. Italian spaghetti typically consists of tomatoes, aromatic vegetables, and herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.), giving the pasta dish a tangy, refreshing flavor. Filipino spaghetti sits on the sweeter, richer side by using the fat from ground beef and a special ingredient that gives the sauce its sweet taste.
What is this secret ingredient in Filipino spaghetti? Two words: banana ketchup! I prefer to use Jufran (my grandparents and dad always get this brand), but many other companies produce banana ketchup as well. The concept of this condiment may sound odd at first, but digging into its origins provides insight into the culture and history of the Philippines.
History of Banana Ketchup
The United States first introduced ketchup to the Philippines around 1898, and it quickly became an incredibly popular condiment. However, during World War II, tomatoes and ketchup became increasingly difficult to import. To address this issue, Maria Y. Orosa, a Filipina food chemist and pharmacist, discovered a way to create an alternative to tomato ketchup. She was resourceful, using native-grown Saba bananas to make a condiment consisting of mashed bananas, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Thus, the banana ketchup was born. It remains a staple in Filipino cuisine today: even though the Philippines no longer faces issues with importing tomatoes and ketchup, banana ketchup still manages to find its place in nearly every Filipino pantry.
A few months ago, bottles of banana ketchup and other Filipino condiments were removed from American shelves for product improvement. Those months unexpectedly hit the U.S. Filipino population pretty hard. We rely on banana ketchup for more than just Filipino spaghetti–it’s a condiment used in a vast array of Filipino dishes. However, Jufran has returned! I was recently browsing Berkeley Bowl and found a couple of bottles sitting on the counter. Saying that I was ecstatic to see my beloved Jufran again is a bit of an understatement. I immediately grabbed a bottle off the shelf to make Filipino spaghetti. Come make some with me using this recipe!
Filipino Spaghetti
Try this Filipino twist on an Italian classic!
Ingredients
Instructions
- On medium heat, drizzle some oil in a large pot and saute the minced garlic and diced onion until the onion appears translucent.
- Add in the ground beef and saute alongside the garlic and onion. Stir frequently to break up the ground beef and ensure it is thoroughly cooked. There is no need to remove the beef fat, as it is important to develop a richer flavor.*
#SpoonTip: Feel free to use leaner ground beef if you want a higher protein option. The sauce may be slightly drier, but it should not drastically change the sauce. - Once the ground beef is fully cooked, mix the diced red bell pepper into the pot. Continue sauteing the vegetables and beef for 2-3 minutes before turning the heat down to medium-low.
- Now is the time to add in the Filipino hotdogs if you have any! Slice up the hotdogs and toss them into the pot to cook with the vegetables and meat. Make sure to give it a quick stir afterward.
- Add the entire bottle of Jufran and an equal amount of tomato sauce into the pot. It’s okay to estimate the amount of tomato sauce! Personally, I prefer to have an equal ratio of banana ketchup to tomato sauce because this provides a nice balance of sweetness and tang. However, you can adjust the proportions to your personal preference.
#SpoonTip: Save the extra tomato sauce for Italian spaghetti! - Stir the pot until the sauce becomes uniform. It should have a deep red color.
- Add the water and mix to evenly distribute it in the sauce. Turn the heat to low and allow the spaghetti sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that the vegetables and beef don’t collect to the bottom of the pot and burn.
#SpoonTip: If you want the sauce to have a thicker consistency and develop a greater umami flavor, allow the sauce to simmer on low for an additional 15-20 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally to ensure that the vegetables and meat don’t burn. - While the spaghetti sauce is simmering, grab a spoon and sample it! It’s important to ensure that the sauce is to your liking. You can adjust the flavor by adding more banana ketchup (or a little sugar if you run out) if it’s too tangy, or a bit of tomato sauce if it’s too sweet.
- While the spaghetti sauce is simmering, boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Before draining the pasta, add 1/4 cup of pasta water to the spaghetti sauce and give it a quick stir. The starch from the pasta water will help the sauce take on a thicker consistency! Allow the sauce to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- After draining the pasta, quickly rinse it with cold water to stop it from cooking any further and help prevent it from sticking together.
- Stir the spaghetti sauce one more time before turning the heat off to redistribute the vegetables and meat within the sauce.
- Combine the pasta with the sauce (if there’s enough space in the sauce pot). If there isn’t enough space in the sauce pot to combine everything, plate your desired amount of pasta and top with the spaghetti sauce.
#SpoonTip: Topping with cheese is an excellent way to add a touch of creaminess to your spaghetti.
Spaghetti Sauce
Pasta
Putting It All Together!
Notes
- *Don’t worry about the fat from the beef! We’re not adding more oil or butter into the sauce, which allows us to use the fat from the ground beef itself to help make the sauce develop a richer flavor. Feel free to remove the beef fat if you prefer to, it won’t make a huge difference.
Now that you’ve got this Filipino spaghetti recipe down, you can bring it to your next potluck, birthday party, or casual dinner with friends. You can even meal prep it for the week if you’re keeping it all to yourself (no judgment!). While the sauce sticks to tradition, feel free to play around with different pasta shapes!
I hope you had fun learning about banana ketchup and making this classic Filipino dish with me. Happy cooking!
