Filipino spaghetti is a gloriously bonkers dish, it rocks minced pork and hot dog sausages in tomato sauce sweetened with condensed milk.
The dish will take around an hour to prepare and cook, but it is all very easy, and it requires no special kit or cheffy skills!
"Jollibee" Spaghetti
I have a deep love for all food, and I particularly love playing around with dishes that seem "out of place".
I think they speak to who we are as people, we move, we travel, we take ideas with us, and we incorporate wherever we go in what and how we eat.
Dishes like Japanese Spaghetti Napolitan, Filipino pork menudo and Filipino Kaldereta have their influences in Europe. I play with ideas all of the time, dishes like my sausage curry and chicken, caramelised onion and sage pasta both scream of British ingredients and play in different ponds.
This Filipino spaghetti recipe is another example from Southeast Asia, and it is gloriously bonkers. Its popularity in a fast food restaurant has seen it colloquially named "Jollibee" spaghetti.
On the face of it, it is a pretty conventional spaghetti in tomato sauce... but it is sweet... sweet and savoury and I love it.
My version of this recipe combines minced pork with the often-used hot dog sausages. The savoury vibes come from fish sauce, stock, cheese and a little vinegar.
Then the sweet kicks in, which is represented in different ways depending on the cook. Banana ketchup is common, but given the difficulty of finding it in the UK, I've gone with another option.
Sweetened condensed milk, yes, it sounds mad, yes, it is mad, but it works. It gives the dish a wonderful creamy vibe and the required sweetness.
Embrace the strange, especially if you love that sweet/savoury combination; this dish is for you... And your kids will love it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use condensed milk?
No, but it is one of the commonly used ingredients that gives this dish its rich sweetness.
Other options include banana ketchup, which can be found online and brown sugar. Condensed milk is my favourite option.
What can I do with leftover condensed milk?
If you are using condensed milk in this recipe, you will have some leftover. I usually stir some through my baked rice pudding recipe, but you can also make a quick ice cream or some condensed milk cookies.
Can I use minced beef?
Yes, this Filipino spaghetti dish is perfectly good, made with minced beef.
Do I have to use an OXO cube?
No, any old stock cube will work. However, I cook for two people, and an OXO cube is the perfect size for how I cook.
If you are using a stock cube that needs to be diluted by 450-500ml of water, you will only need a third of that stock cube.
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Yes, fill your boots, use whatever you like... bucatini gets a special mention from me, it is wonderful with this meat sauce.
Can I make this in advance?
The sauce for Filipino spaghetti can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will also freeze for up to 3 months.
I would not cook the pasta in advance; it is best cooked fresh, and it doesn't take much longer than reheating the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
I think that Filipino spaghetti is a dish hearty enough to stand up as a meal all on its own.
Let's face it, between the meat, hot dog sausages, cheese and pasta, you have plenty of calories for fuel!
However, in one of its "homes", a fast food restaurant called Jollibee, it is not unheard of for it to be served with garlic bread or even French fries.
I would opt for the former if I were you!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Colander or sieve.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Filipino (Jollibee) Style Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g Minced Pork (Lean) 10oz
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Small Red Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 1½ tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon White Pepper
- 200 g Tomato Passata
- 1 Beef Oxo Cube
- 175 ml Water ¾ Cup
- 6 Hotdog Sausages 150g
- 175 g Dried Spaghetti 6oz
- 4 tablespoon Sweetened Condensed Milk ¼ Cup
- 75 g Grated Cheddar Cheese ⅔-¾ Cup
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Remove the seeds and stalk from the red pepper and dice it as finely as you can.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium heat, and when it is hot, add the oil, followed by the onions and red pepper, then soften for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Pele and finely chop the garlic cloves, and when the onions and peppers have been cooking for 5 minutes, add it to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring regulalry.
- Turn the heat up to high and add the pork, and cook until it is well browned.
- When the pork has browned, reduce the heat to medium and add the fish sauce, cider vinegar, tomato puree, ground ginger and white pepper, and give everything a stir for a minute or two.
- Pour in the tomato passata, water and crumble in the oxo cube, then stir to combine.
- Cut the hot dog sausages into 1-1.5cm (½") lengths, stir them through the sauce and simmer on a gentle "bubble" for 30 minutes.
- When the sauce has 5 minutes left, boil the spaghetti in a 20cm or 8" saucepan of well-salted water. I use 1½ teaspoons of salt in a pan this size.
- Once the pasta sauce has been cooking for 30 minutes, stir in the condensed milk and half of the grated cheddar cheese, stir to melt the cheese and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
- Drain the pasta and stir it through the sauce.
- Serve with the remaining cheddar sprinkled over the pasta.