Filipino Spaghetti

Italian food purists beware! Filipino spaghetti is the spaghetti of my childhood and it’s now my kids’ favorite food. Ground beef and Filipino red hotdogs combine with tomato sauce, banana ketchup, fish sauce and sugar to make a sweet sauce that’s piled on top of overcooked spaghetti noodles. A little evaporated milk goes into the sauce to give it some creaminess, and shredded cheddar on top to bring everything together!

Ingredients
3-4 tbsp cooking oil
1 1/2 lb ground beef (any ground meat works)
3-5 cloves garlic chopped
1 small onion diced
1 pack of hotdogs (the redder the better)sliced
1  bottle tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup (preferably banana ketchup)
1-3 tbsp fish sauce (to taste)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1-2 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti noodles
Shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp oil and quickly sauté hotdogs for color and texture and set aside.
2. Add another 2 tbsp oil and cook onions 2-3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook 1 minute. Toss in ground meat and break apart. Cook the meat till no longer pink.
3. Add in tomato sauce and mix ingredients well.
4. Add in banana ketchup, fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust to your preference. Mix in evaporated milk. Stir sauce thoroughly. Bring to a low boil and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
5. While spaghetti sauce is simmering, cook noodles according to package directions but add a minute or two (there’s no al dente in the Philippines). To serve ladle spaghetti sauce onto noodles. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Always unmixed until you eat