Filipino Spaghetti
Spaghetti ng Pinoy
Sweet Filipino spaghetti—ground pork and hotdog in thick banana-ketchup tomato sauce with grated cheese, the birthday-party ulam every Pinoy kid remembers.
Serves 8 · 50m total
The Story
Filipino spaghetti is not Italian spaghetti—it is birthday-handaaan spaghetti. Sweet, thick, and often studded with sliced hotdog, it grew from American canned goods and banana ketchup into the ulam that appears beside lumpia and fried chicken at every kid's party.
The sauce should coat the noodles, not pool watery at the bottom. Ground pork (sometimes beef) builds the base; banana ketchup and a little sugar give that unmistakable sweet-sour red glaze. Quick-melt cheese on top is non-negotiable for many families.
It is weeknight-fast and crowd-friendly—exactly why it stays one of the most searched Filipino recipes year after year.
Best paired with
Garlic bread, lumpiang shanghai, and iced juice or sago't gulaman at a party spread.
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Use day-old spaghetti noodles if you can—they hold the thick sauce better after a quick rinse.
- ✦Banana ketchup is the shortcut to authentic Pinoy sweetness; adjust sugar to taste.
- ✦Slice hotdog on a bias so each piece catches sauce on the plate.
- ✦Simmer the meat sauce until oil separates slightly—that means it is thick enough.
- ✦Toss pasta with sauce off heat so cheese melts evenly when you top the platter.
Substitutions
- banana ketchup → tomato ketchup plus 1 tbsp brown sugar
- hotdog → smoked sausage or ham cubes
- ground pork → ground beef or mixed pork-beef
Ingredients
placeholder
placeholder
placeholder
placeholder
placeholder
placeholder
Instructions
- 1
Cook spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, rinse briefly if you want a firmer bite, and toss with 1 tsp oil so strands do not clump.
- 2
Heat oil in a wide pot. Sauté garlic and onion until soft. Add ground pork; cook, breaking up clumps, until no longer pink and starting to brown.
- 3
Stir in tomato sauce, banana ketchup, brown sugar, and broth. Simmer 15–20 minutes until thick and sweet-savory. Season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Add sliced hotdog; simmer 5 minutes more. Taste—Filipino spaghetti should be noticeably sweeter than Italian style.
- 5
Toss spaghetti with the sauce until every strand is coated. Transfer to a platter and top generously with quick-melt and cheddar cheese. Serve hot.
Kitchen Timer · 15 min prep first
35:00
Tried this recipe?
Questions, corrections, or a photo of your Filipino Spaghetti? We read every message—no comment section, just a direct line to the kitchen.
