Spicy Spaghetti with Longganisa (Filipino Style)

Spicy Filipino Spaghetti is the sweet Filipino-style spaghetti I make with spicy longganisa crumbled into the sauce, along with ground pork, hotdogs, and liver spread. The sauce is the same sweet kind I use for my regular Filipino spaghetti, so it still tastes like the spaghetti we have at parties, with heat from the longganisa in it this time.

I first got the idea when a pasta sauce brand asked me to create a video for them using their recipe. It was ok but I felt that I needed to tweak it further to my personal preference, thus this recipe was born.

Spicy longganisa is the main difference. I take the casing off, crumble the sausage, and cook it with the ground pork instead of slicing it and adding it later, since the oil that comes out of it is where the heat and most of the flavor are. Nothing else in the pot is spicy, so how hot the spaghetti turns out depends on the longganisa you buy.

What is Spicy Filipino Spaghetti?

The Filipino-style spaghetti sauce is already sweet, so there is no need to add sugar. Ground pork, sliced hotdogs, and liver spread go in too, similar to my meaty spaghetti. That version uses plain tomato sauce and sugar, without the spicy longganisa.

Why This Spicy Filipino Spaghetti Recipe Works

• Spicy longganisa instead of chili – Chili flakes only make the sauce hot. Spicy longganisa also puts its garlic and its fat into the sauce.
• Seasoning the pork before adding the sauce – The beef powder goes in while the pork simmers. By the time the water evaporates, the seasoning has cooked into the meat.
• Thickening the sauce with flour – One tablespoon is enough for this recipe. It goes in with the meat, before the spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti – One pound, cooked until al dente and drained.
• Spicy longganisa – Look for the packs labeled spicy or hot. Brands vary in how hot they are.
• Ground pork – Regular ground pork works well. You do not need a fatty grind.
• Hotdogs – Filipino red hotdogs or beef franks, sliced crosswise.
• Del Monte Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce – This is the sweet-style sauce. One 500 g pouch. No Filipino-style sauce where you are? See the substitutions below.
• Liver spread – Any canned liver spread works. Three tablespoons go in at the end.
• All-purpose flour – One tablespoon to help thicken the meat sauce.
• Yellow onions – Two medium onions, minced.
• Garlic – Six cloves, minced.
• Beef powder – One teaspoon, dissolved in the water the pork simmers in.
• Water – One and a half cups for the sauce, used in two parts, plus the water for boiling the pasta.
• Salt and ground black pepper – Added at the end, to taste.
• Cooking oil – Three tablespoons for sautéing the garlic, onion, and pork.
• Grated cheese – Cheddar or quick-melt cheese, grated over the spaghetti before serving.

1. Bring 1 1/2 quarts of water to a boil in a cooking pot. Add 3 teaspoons of salt, followed by the spaghetti.
2. Cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it starts to brown, then add the onions and continue sautéing until softened.
2. Add the ground pork. Cook while stirring occasionally until the meat turns light to medium brown.
3. Add the crumbled spicy longganisa. Continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Pour in 1 cup of water and add the beef powder. Stir well, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has completely evaporated.

The water has evaporated when the pan looks almost dry and you can see the oil from the longganisa again.

1. Add the sliced hotdogs. Continue sautéing for 2 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the meat mixture. Stir until the flour is evenly incorporated.
3. Pour in the Del Monte Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce. Stir until well combined.
4. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

1. Add the liver spread. Stir until fully incorporated into the sauce.
2. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
3. Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce. Toss gently until the pasta is evenly coated.
4. Sprinkle grated cheese over the spaghetti. Transfer to a serving plate and serve warm.

What to Serve with Spicy Filipino Spaghetti

• Garlic Bread – French bread with garlic butter, baked until the edges crisp.
• Filipino Fried Chicken – Fried chicken next to sweet spaghetti is a common plate at Filipino parties, and it works just as well at home.
• Lumpia – Lumpiang Shanghai, which I make alongside Filipino spaghetti for my kids’ birthday parties.
• Extra grated cheese – For anyone who wants more on top.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in a covered container. The spaghetti soaks up some of the sauce as it sits, so it comes out of the refrigerator drier than it went in.
• Freezer: Freeze the sauce on its own, before the spaghetti is tossed in, for up to 2 months. Spaghetti that has been frozen in the sauce turns soft and mushy once thawed, so cook fresh pasta when you use the frozen sauce.
• Reheating: Warm it in a pan over low heat with a splash of water, stirring until the sauce loosens and the spaghetti is hot. In the microwave, cover the plate and heat in short bursts so the edges do not dry out.

More Filipino Spaghetti Recipes

• Jollibee Style Spaghetti – The sweet fast-food version, made with ground pork, minced ham, and red hotdogs.
• Longganisa Pasta – Penne in tomato sauce with sliced skinless longganisa, a lighter take on bolognese.
• Panlasang Pinoy Spaghetti – Sweet spaghetti made with banana ketchup, potted meat, and hotdogs.
• Pinoy Spaghetti – The version with a sauce built from scratch using banana ketchup and brown sugar.
• Creamy Baked Spaghetti – Meat sauce spaghetti baked under a creamy cheese topping.
• Spaghetti Carbonara – Creamy white spaghetti with no tomato sauce in it.

• Spicy longganisa – Use regular sweet longganisa and add 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes or 2 chopped siling labuyo along with it. You can also make your own with my longganisa recipe and add chili to the mix. Regular longganisa may make the sauce sweeter, depending on the brand.
• Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce – Use one 8 oz can of plain tomato sauce with 3/4 cup of banana ketchup and 1 tablespoon of sugar, which comes to about the same amount as the pouch. This changes the flavor noticeably, so taste and adjust the sugar before adding salt.
• Liver spread – Leave it out if you do not have it. The sauce will be a little thinner and less rich, but the recipe still works.
• Beef powder – One beef bouillon cube, crumbled into the water.
• Hotdogs – Beef franks or sliced Vienna sausage.
• Grated cheese – Cheddar, quick-melt cheese, or grated Parmesan all work on top.

Add the cheese while the spaghetti is still hot so it starts to melt into the sauce. Keep extra cheese on the table, since more of it helps if the longganisa turned out spicier than you expected. The sauce keeps thickening as it cools, so toss the spaghetti in and serve it right away.