This spaghetti is not your regular Italian spaghetti. Instead of using tomato, tomato sauce or paste, this dish is made with ketchup. You may think why on earth would you use ketchup in pasta. In fact, it is very common to see ketchup in Asian’s cooking, like baked pork chop with fried rice, ketcup shrimps, omurice and ketchup fried rice. I believe it is because ketchup is cheaper and easier to access than tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes back in the days.
This recipe is from Just One Cookbook. It is a Japanese recipe. There are a lot of western influence in Japanese cuisine. Pizza and pasta restaurants are everywhere in Japan. Most do not offer traditional Italian food, instead they sell Italian food with a Japanese twist. This ketchup spaghetti is a perfect example. With the ketchup, this pasta dish is slightly sweet and doesn’t have the acidic taste from fresh tomatoes. But you still get the savory taste from the sausages and cheese. There are also similar pasta dishes like this in Hong Kong. Maybe it is the Japanese influence or it can also be the British influence. Anyway, to me, this is the flavors that I grew up with. A very easy and tasty pasta dish that only require 30 minutes to make. Enjoy!
Ketchup Spaghetti (Adapted from Just One Cookbook)
3 servings
Ingredients:
– 2 Italian sausages or 3 hot dogs
– 4 – 6 white button mushrooms
– 1 small green bell pepper
– 6 tablespoons Ketchup
– 1½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
– 8 ounces spaghetti
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– ½ medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)
– 1 garlic clove (minced)
– 3 – 5 tablespoons pasta water
– 3 – 4 tablespoons milk
– 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
– salt
– ground black pepper
Directions:
- If using hot dogs, skip this step. If using Italian sausages, bring water to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the sausage and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the sausage from water and let it cool at room temperature.
- For the mushrooms, wipe clean with paper towels. Cut the mushrooms into ¼-inch slices and set aside.
- Clean and dry the bell pepper. Remove the stem, seeds and innards. Cut into ¼-inch strips.
- In a small bowl, combine ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
- Cut the sausages or hot dogs diagonally into ¼-inch slices. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water (salted) to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat. Heat the olive oil. Add onions and cook for until soft and transparent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the sausages or hot dogs and cook for 1 minute. Add bell peppers and mushrooms. Cook until brown and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the ketchup mixture and add 3 tablespoons pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta and toss to combine with tongs. If needed, add more pasta water. Adjust seasoning. Add milk and Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Transfer pasta to serving plates. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese.
Tips:
- I used green bell pepper because of the color. But you can use any bell pepper you like.
- This pasta makes great leftover lunch for the next day.
Source: Read
Oh my gosh, I love this dish!! I’ve made it several times since I saw it on Nami’s site and will continue to. I mix up the protein with what I have at home but it’s all about that essential ketchup sauce, isn’t it? I simply love eating at HK style tea shops and anything ketchup-sauced like spaghetti, pork chop dishes, etc. makes me so happy. Your dish came out beautifully!
YES! This ketchup flavor reminds me of the dishes in HK style cafes. Sweet and savory. I have made this a couple times already. Unfortunately, Bryan is not too fond of entrees that are on the sweet side. If not, I would have make this even more. Thank you, Monica!
I’m thinking the two of us would have a field day at a HK style tea shop. Too bad we are on opposite coasts. : ) Have a great rest of the week.
That would be so much fun!!! When we visit each other city, we should hang out and take each other to a HK style tea shop. 🙂
This dish brings back so many memories! Funny thing, that’s how I had my pasta when I was a child too…mind you, not so elaborated 🙂 Will try your recipe this week. Really curious how it taste with all these “improvements” Thanks for sharing it! xo
Really? You too? Haha, my childhood ketchup pasta was also very simple. With a few more ingredients, this is definitely a much more balance meal. I hope you will like this. 😀
This looks deliciousI know my husband will love this…must make! 😉
Thank you Bonnie! Hope you guys will enjoy this sweet and easy pasta dish.
I love this dish! Ketchup with pasta was one of my favorites growing up and yours looks incredible! Love how quickly it comes together – can’t wait to make this 🙂
Yes, I love the sweetness of the ketchup that brings to the dish. Something you just can’t get from fresh tomatoes and tomato sauce. Thanks for stopping by Kelly.
Hehe yes, we Asians love adding ketchup to everything don’t we? ;). I especially love it with shrimp for some reason..and omurice. This looks very comforting! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment on my blog as it led me to yours!
Oh yes! We sure do! Ketchup on omurice is totally a hit! My husband and I both love that!
This dish looks great. I grew-up eating pasta with ketchup and I love it 🙂
Thank you Atika! Ketchup is something special in pasta dish. That unique flavor just can’t be substitute. 🙂
Simple and good! I agree, ketchup is usually used in Asian kitchen and it generate tasty food. I tend to use fresh tomato whenever it’s possible for health sake, but sometimes, it’s just so easy to cook delicious dish like this! Definitely will try out soon 🙂
Thanks Maggie. Yea, I do cook with fresh tomatoes most of the time. But that sweetness from ketchup just can’t be replaced. Ketchup is definitely one of a kind. 🙂
Not unusual at all! My mom uses banana ketchup to make her version of spaghetti 🙂
Wow! Banana ketchup? That’s the first time I have ever heard of it! Sounds awesomely sweet! Gotta look into that! Haha, Asians love ketchup in the pasta. Don’t they?
Hi Lokness! I’m SO sorry I didn’t get pingback from your blog for some reason and I didn’t know about this post until now. Thank you very much for trying this recipe! Your ketchup spaghetti looks delicious. I think I’ll make this for tomorrow’s lunch for my kids! 🙂 I’m going to share this on my fan page now… thank you again!
No worries! Thank you instead for sharing such a great recipe! I love how easy and delicious this is! It has become one of my go-to recipes. 😉