Filipino Spaghetti is a staple of Filipino party food. It's usually prepared with ground beef and hot dogs. But if you're vegan, don't worry! By making this version of the Filipino Spaghetti, you don't have to miss out on the festivities.
Background
Filipino Spaghetti is the Philippines' version of a classic Italian dish: spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. It has a slightly sweet flavor to it thanks to the addition of some sugar and popular ingredients of the region like banana ketchup.
While Italians may balk at the idea of a sweet sauce combined with spaghetti, this is a common comfort food in the Philippines. It's a regular at parties, and is frequently sold at fast-food chains like Jollibee and McDonald's. Also, thanks to the sweet-tinged flavor profile, kids love this stuff.
Much like the Bolognese sauce that inspired it, the sauce in Filipino Spaghetti is typically meat-based. It incorporates plenty of ground meat, and is even topped with hot dogs. Cheddar cheese is often sprinkled on top as well.
With an ingredient profile like that, it's hard to imagine going anywhere near this dish if you're vegan. But thanks to modern-day plant-based alternatives, vegans and non-vegans alike can partake in the deliciousness which is Filipino Spaghetti!
Ingredient Highlights
- Banana Ketchup: Along with the sugar, banana ketchup is what helps contribute to the sweet flavor you find in Filipino Spaghetti. Due to the difficulty of growing tomatoes in the Philippines, banana ketchup was invented and is used often as a replacement to traditional ketchup. In some places, this is also called "banana sauce".
- Red onion, garlic, red bell pepper: While this is often regarded as a comfort food, that doesn't mean you can't incorporate some vegetables to keep things a little nutritious. Red onion, garlic, and bell pepper are sources of important micro-nutrients and also have their own contributions to the texture and flavor profile of this dish.
How to Make Vegan Filipino Spaghetti
First you'll want to cook the pasta according to the package directions until they're al dente. Once cooked, set it aside in a container.
While the pasta is cooking, you can get started with the sauce. Pour the tablespoon of canola oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced plant-based hot dogs and cook until they become slightly browned. Set them aside.
In the same pan, add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Sautée them for about 2 minutes. Then add the plant-based ground beef and cook it for 2 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, banana ketchup, vegetable broth, and sugar. Stir. Cover the saucepan for 30 minutes.
In the last 10 minutes of the sauce's cooking time, add the hot dogs.
After the sauce is finished cooking, you can add it to the container with the pasta. Add the shredded vegan cheese, and voila! You have your Vegan Filipino Spaghetti!
Tips
- To save time, start cooking the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
- If you want the pasta to also be hot once the sauce is ready, you can start cooking the pasta in the last 15 minutes of the sauce's cooking.
Vegan Filipino Spaghetti
Equipment
- saucepan
- large pot for cooking pasta
- colander for draining pasta
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 8 plant-based hot dogs ~340g, sliced diagonally
- ½ cup banana ketchup
- 680 ml tomato sauce 23 oz
- 1 red onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 340 g vegan ground beef
- 180 g shredded vegan cheese 1½ cup, cheddar-style preferred
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add canola oil then the sliced plant-based hot dogs. Stir occasionally until the hot dogs become slightly browned (3-5 minutes). Remove hot dogs from saucepan and set aside.
- Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper to the saucepan and sautée for 2-3 minutes.
- Add vegan ground beef, cook while stirring occasionally for around 2 minutes,
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, banana ketchup, vegetable broth, and sugar. Stir until well-combined.
- Bring to a simmer then lower heat to medium heat. Cook covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Make sure to do next step during cooking)
- Add hot dogs into sauce to cook during the last 10 minutes.
- Remove sauce from heat. Season with salt & pepper if desired.
- In a large glass dish (e.g. Pyrex) or other large container, combine the cooked spaghetti with the cooked sauce and mix well.
- Top with shredded vegan cheese.
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