Filipino food takes a ton of inspiration from other cuisines. Of course, we have restaurants that serve other cuisines here. But we have our own versions of everything, from Yang Chow fried rice to southern fried chicken. Every foreign cuisine that is cooked in the Philippines has already been “Filipin-ized” to suit local tastes.
The thing is, the names of these dishes stay the same. A carbonara in the Philippines could either mean spaghetti noodles loaded with cream, or a pasta dish cooked traditionally with egg yolks and cheese. You’ll just have to find out once the dish arrives to your table. So when a Filipino says her favorite dish is spaghetti, what does that mean?
Chances are, a Filipino who loves spaghetti is only thinking about a sweet, hotdog-laden concoction topped with chunks of unmelted cheddar cheese. Because that’s what spaghetti is in the Philippines. It’s a bright red tomato, almost ketchup-like sauce, with bits meat and chunks of red hotdog, and soft noodles. Forget about your al dente pasta that holds a sauce made with fresh tomatoes and grated parmesan. Just give a Pinoy a plate of the sweet stuff and his Christmas is sorted.
I had to include this in my list of Filipino Christmas recipes because it’s so classically Pinoy. You’ll find a tray of sweet spaghetti at any party, whether it’s for a 7-year-old or a senior citizen. Just having this one dish will turn any party into a Filipino one!
If you need any equipment or ingredients for planning your Filipino Christmas, look no further. Landers Superstore has 4 branches around Metro Manila for your convenience. Check them out at the following locations:
Landers ArcoVia
Landers Alabang West
Landers Balintawak
Landers Otis
So when thinking of spaghetti in the Philippines, forget whatever Wolfgang Puck or Nigella Lawson preach. This is how you do Sweet Filipino Spaghetti.
RECIPE
Ingredients:
- 1 pack of pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/3 cup minced white onions
- 1 pound of ground pork
- 8 red sausages/hotdogs, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1/3 cup diced carrots
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- salt to taste
- 1 cup of soft mozarella or cheddar cheese
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta noodles according to the package instructions.
- Heat oil in a pan. Optional: add atsuete oil for color.
- Add in garlic and onions and sauté until a bit rendered.
- Add in the ground pork. Cook until browned and crispy.
- Drop in the carrots. Optional: add in red bell peppers.
- Add the chopped hotdogs to the pan. Stir until hotdogs are cooked and all ingredients come together.
- Add tomato paste. Stir.
- Add in tomato sauce and stir to combine.
- Add a splash of water to thin out the sauce if needed.
- Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Check on the pasta noodles. If they’re cooked, drain and set aside.
- Add evaporated milk to the pan with the sauce. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt.
- Add the cooked noodles to the sauce along with the cheese. Mix until combined.
- Serve and enjoy!
Want to a visual guide to making this recipe? Check out the video below!
Try this recipe out at home and let me know your thoughts! Tag me @erwan on Instagram or use the hashtag #TheFatKidInside so I can see your photos.
