Background:

Spaghetti is a staple dish of Italian culture, known worldwide for its rich flavors and long-standing history. Many people believe that Marco Polo, the explorer, was inspired by Chinese noodle dishes and brought back pasta to Italy. In reality, pasta was already being made in Sicily during his time, and records of pasta dishes could be traced farther back throughout the Mediterranean. It’s believed that pasta was introduced to Sicily in the 8th century by its Arab conquerors, where it remained a regional dish for many centuries until around 1874, shortly after Italy was unified. 

Around the same time, tomato was being incorporated more and more into the cuisine, after being introduced to Italy during the Columbian exchange, and was eventually combined with spaghetti to create the dish that we know today. 

Italian immigrants then carried the dish with them across Europe, to the Americas, and to East Asia, where new toppings were experimented with and new variations created. In the Philippines specifically, World War II made access to tomato sauces limited, and couldn’t be reproduced naturally on the Islands, so the people got creative. In the 1930s, chemist and food technologist Maria Olsa would experiment with food and produce native to the Philippines. She would  go on to invent banana ketchup, an alternative to the tomato sauce of the West. 

In 1942, factories were created to mass produce banana ketchup as it was being incorporated into pasta dishes. In January of 1978, the first Jollibee opened in the Philippines, with US locations opening decades later.  Their most popular item would become the “Jolly Spaghetti” —a twist on traditional pasta with banana ketchup, chopped hotdogs, ground pork, and cheddar cheese giving it the iconic sweet, tangy, and savory flavor profile. It’s the perfect dish to make to celebrate the 47th anniversary of Jollibee along with National Spaghetti Day!

What you’ll need:

2 tbsp olive oil

Hot dogs, sliced (optional, can be pork or beef)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves

1 pound ground beef OR pork

1 can tomato sauce

1 cup banana ketchup (recipe below)

1 can tomato paste

2 cups of beef broth

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

½ black pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 pound spaghetti noodles (usually ~1 box)

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Banana Ketchup (makes roughly 1 cup):

1 tbsp oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

½ a small onion

1 tsp ginger, chopped

2 bananas, mashed

¼ cup tomato paste

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup water

Pinch of cayenne powder or other spices (optional)

Part 1:

In a saucepan, heat oil over a medium flame, before adding onion, garlic, and ginger. Sautee for 5 minutes until soft.

Then, add the mashed bananas, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Mix well to avoid clumps. Combine with vinegar, water, and any additional spices before bringing the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat and and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Optionally, you can blend the sauce to completely smooth it out, or you can set it to the side while you work on the spaghetti sauce.

Part 2:

In a large saucepan on medium-low heat, sautee the hot dogs in the oil until slightly crisp. Remove just the hotdogs to a separate plate, before adding the onions and garlic and sauteeing until soft and fragrant.

Then, add the ground beef (or pork) to the same pan and cook until brown. Drain excess grease and add tomato sauce, banana ketchup, tomato paste, beef broth, sugar, salt, and other seasoning and stir to combine. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat, covering the pan and simmering for 30 minutes. You’ll notice that the sauce will thicken and reduce in size.

While you wait for the sauce to thicken, cook your spaghetti as directed on the box. Once the sauce is done, add the hotdog slices and season to taste. To serve, place a helping of pasta on a plate and top with the sauce. Shred cheddar cheese on top and wait for it to melt before digging in. Happy Cooking!

Sources:​​​​

Spaghetti | Description, Origins, Pasta Types, & Uses | Britannica

Nonna’s Nightmare Meets Filipino Comfort Food: The Origin of Jollibee’s Sweet Spaghetti | VinePair

The Sweet and Savory Jollibee Spaghetti Recipe

Filipino Banana Ketchup Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere