Filipino

Serving

Filipino Kid-friendly

Filipino Spaghetti

Name: Filipino Spaghetti
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 12 oz spaghetti; 1 Tbsp cooking oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 lb ground pork; 6 hot dogs, sliced into coins; 2 cups tomato sauce; 1 cup banana ketchup; 1/2 cup water; 2 Tbsp sugar, plus more to taste; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, for serving

A sweet-savory Filipino party spaghetti with tomato sauce, banana ketchup, sliced hot dogs, ground pork, and a shower of cheddar-style cheese.

45 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

16 min prep

25 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

7 steps

1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just tender. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
2
Warm the oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3
Add the ground pork and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains and the edges begin to brown.
4
Stir in the sliced hot dogs and cook for 2 minutes so they lightly brown around the edges.
5
Add the tomato sauce, banana ketchup, water, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy and slightly thickened.
6
Taste and adjust sweetness or salt. Toss the cooked spaghetti with enough sauce to coat, loosening with a splash of pasta water if needed.
7
Serve hot with more sauce spooned over the top and grated cheddar cheese scattered generously over each plate.

Filipino Spaghetti — plated and served — Serving moment. How Filipino Spaghetti looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

72/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 61

Budget-friendly 66

Great leftovers 93

Pantry-friendly 40

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

575

Calories

34 g

Protein

64 g

Carbs

20 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Filipino spaghetti is party food: a sweet-savory adaptation of tomato pasta shaped by local pantry staples, hot dogs, and banana ketchup. It is strongly associated with birthdays, school celebrations, fast-food trays, and family gatherings.

Listahan note

This version keeps the sauce glossy and slightly sweet, uses sliced hot dogs for the expected texture, and finishes with grated cheddar-style cheese on the plate rather than melting it into the pot.

Technique cues

Brown the hot dog slices briefly before simmering so they keep their shape and taste less boiled.
Banana ketchup varies by brand; add sugar after simmering, not before, so the final sauce is sweet without becoming candy-like.
Reserve pasta water before draining the spaghetti. A small splash helps the thick sauce cling without thinning the flavor.

Technique notes

Simmer the sauce until it turns glossy and the oil begins to show at the edges; that is the cue that the tomato sauce and banana ketchup have cooked together.
For a party tray, toss the noodles with part of the sauce, then spoon more sauce and cheese over the top so it still looks abundant after transport.
Keep the hot dog slices thick enough to read visually; very thin slices disappear into the sauce.

Ingredient swaps

ground pork: ground chicken — Use the same weight and add a little extra oil if the pan looks dry.
banana ketchup: tomato ketchup plus a small pinch of sugar — This keeps the sweet-tangy direction when banana ketchup is unavailable.
spaghetti: same amount of an approved cooked base — Use this only as a format change for potluck trays; long spaghetti is the familiar party presentation.

Serve alongside

lumpia-style vegetable rolls
simple cucumber and tomato salad
steamed green vegetables
calamansi soda
iced tea
cold water with citrus

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate sauced spaghetti in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Equipment

large pot for pasta
wide saucepan or Dutch oven
box grater for cheese

Make this household-aware

Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.

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