Watching Forgotten Island brought back so many memories of growing up Filipino American especially the food. And nothing takes me back to my childhood quite like Filipino spaghetti. That sweet, savory sauce, bright red hotdogs, overcooked noodles, and a mountain of shredded cheddar cheese. It's one of those meals that's basically a core memory for so many Filipino kids, including me.
Now it's one of my own kids' favorite meals, which makes it even more special. For this version, I used Fila Manila banana ketchup to give the sauce that signature Filipino sweetness, along with ground beef, hotdogs, fish sauce, and a little evaporated milk for creaminess. It might make Italian food purists cringe, but for us, this is what spaghetti is supposed to taste like.
Filipino Spaghetti
Servings: 6–8 portions
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
Total Time: 45–50 minutes
Ingredients
3 tbsp cooking oil
1½ lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package hotdogs, sliced
1 bottle (24 oz) tomato sauce
½ cup banana ketchup
1–2 tbsp fish sauce, to taste
⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
1–2 tbsp sugar, to taste
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 lb spaghetti noodles
Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
1. Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add sliced hotdogs and cook for 2–3 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
2. Add remaining cooking oil to the same pot. Sauté onions for 2–3 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add ground beef, breaking it apart as it cooks. Cook for 5–7 minutes until browned and no longer pink. Drain excess grease if needed.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine with the beef. Add banana ketchup, 1 tbsp fish sauce, and 1 tbsp sugar. Mix well.
5. Return the hotdogs to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together.
6. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and simmer for another 2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust with additional fish sauce, sugar, salt, or black pepper as needed. The sauce should be slightly sweet, savory, and creamy.
7. While the sauce simmers, cook spaghetti noodles in salted boiling water for 1–2 minutes longer than the package instructions. We're not doing al dente here!
8. Serve the spaghetti with a generous amount of sauce spooned over the noodles. Finish with plenty of shredded cheddar cheese.
Tayo na and make some spaghetti
