1 October, 2017

Pan-Fried Filipino Spaghetti

Posted in : Recipes on October 1, 2017 by : Chicken Manen Tags: beef, celery, hot dogs, italian, noodles, onions, spaghetti

My take on the Filipino Spaghetti recipe is more a hybrid of what it normally is and the Italian version. What I will say about the commercial Filipino dishes: there’s more of a tendency to make things sweeter with sugar and a bit too much for my personal tastes. Sweet dishes are probably not the most ideal for nutrition, either.

Growing up, my mom made a makeshift version of the Italian classic. The sauce had garlic, onions, ground beef, and sometimes just tomato paste instead of tomato sauce (Tomato paste is a much more concentrated form of tomato sauce). As a kid, there was a period before we had a microwave and our next day leftovers were heated in a pan. My sister and I noticed a difference in how the Filipino Spaghetti Recipe tasted then, and once we got our microwave, this treat was lost until we realized years later.

The result is a reduced tomato sauce (somewhere between the level of the paste and sauce), while the pan helps impart more flavor and texture to the noodle itself. Last I made this, it reminded me of a cross between spaghetti and another Filipino noodle dish, Pancit. Maybe glorified Chef Boyardee canned stuff, but it’s perfection.

Ingredients

• 1 package spaghetti
• water

For tomato sauce

• 16-20 medium-sized garden tomatoes (or about 4-5c. of tomato sauce)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tsp vegetable oil

For spaghetti sauce

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• Large stalk celery, diced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 6oz. tomato paste (1 small can)
• 2-2.5c. tomato sauce
• 1 beef bouillon (or 1c. beef or chicken stock)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• about 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• bite-sized pieces, beef hot dogs (2)
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• salt, pepper to taste

Preparation

Tomato sauce from scratch:

1. Check each tomato for the dried-up core or at the bottom, and cut them off. Roughly dice the tomatoes into chunks. It doesn’t matter if they’re perfect, they will disintegrate into the sauce.
2. In a pan, heat oil and sauté the onions and garlic together until the onions become translucent. This will take a few minutes.
3. Add and stir in the tomatoes. Simmer until the tomatoes release their liquid and eventually forms a smoother consistency.
4. Remove sauce from pan and set aside. It is optional to remove the remaining tomato skins and seeds by pouring it through a strainer. You may store this for later.

The spaghetti sauce:

1. In a pan, heat oil and sauté the onion, garlic and celery until softened. Pay attention to the celery, it should be soft before proceeding.
2. Turn the heat to medium and add the ground beef. Break it down into small chunks. Combine thoroughly with the onion, garlic and celery. Stir mixture until beef has browned, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, and bouillon cube (or stock if you’re using that).
4. Add the dried oregano, dried basil and soy sauce. Simmer until the sauce become a chunky or thicker consistency.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preparing the noodles:

1. In a pot, bring some water to a boil and add the spaghetti noodles. It is not necessary to break the dried noodles. They will soften and cook for about 10 minutes, for al dente noodles. Remove from heat, and carefully drain the noodles in your sink with a colander.

Notes for the Pan-Fried Filipino Spaghetti Recipe

1. Let the sauce and noodles rest for an hour or so.
2. Combine sauce and noodles, and mix throughly. This makes a good amount, so I recommend dividing the pan-frying process into two batches.
3. In a pan, heat 2tsp of oil on medium and lightly stir-fry half the hot dogs until fully warmed.
4. Add half of the sauce and noodle mixture. Toss until sauce reduces a bit more, and it sticks to the noodles. Remove contents in a serving bowl, and set aside. There may be a tomato sauce crust developing on the bottom of the pan. This can be scraped, and added to the dish.
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 for the other half.
6. Mix the two batches, and serve immediately. If desired, top with grated parmesan cheese.

Notes
Many Filipino families tend to grow tomatoes in their backyard, which often results in having more than enough when it’s time to harvest. This Filipino Spaghetti recipe especially makes use of these situations. My mom never used hot dogs, but thought it was a good compromise. I’m encouraging the use of beef hot dogs instead of the chicken-based product. It has better flavor and texture.