Filipino Spaghetti

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 500 g spaghetti
• 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 6 Filipino-style red hotdogs, sliced diagonally
• 500 g ground pork
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 500 g Filipino-style spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• ½ cup banana ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp brown sugar, or to taste
• 1 tsp fine salt, divided, plus more for pasta water
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season it generously with salt, add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente according to the packet. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain; do not rinse.

2. 2

   While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry the sliced hotdogs for 2–3 minutes until lightly browned, then transfer them to a plate.

3. 3

   Add the remaining oil and cook the onion with ¼ teaspoon salt for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the ground pork, season with ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until no pink remains.

4. 4

   Pour in the Filipino-style spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, banana ketchup and water. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. 5

   Return the hotdogs to the sauce and simmer for 3 minutes. Taste before adding the remaining sugar; add a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Adjust with a small pinch of salt only if needed.

6. 6

   Toss the drained spaghetti with enough sauce to coat every strand, or portion the pasta and spoon the sauce over it. Finish generously with grated cheddar and serve hot.