A plate of Napolitan.
Spaghetti with ketchup sauce might not sound appealing at first, but in Japan it is a beloved comfort food. Spaghetti Napolitan belongs to yoshoku, Japan's own take on Western-inspired cooking that took root during the postwar economic boom. Sweet, tangy, and deeply savory, it has a richness that can be surprisingly addictive.
It is also more than just ketchup on pasta. The sauce is built by sautéing onions, sausage, and green peppers, then enriched with butter and a splash of soy sauce for extra depth.
Long associated with retro Japanese coffee shops, Napolitan is easy to make at home with supermarket ingredients. For the best texture, use thick spaghetti and cook it a minute less than the package instructions. Finish with a generous handful of Parmesan or grated cheese, and a dash of Tabasco if you want an authentic Showa-era touch.
Pair it with red wine for a classic feel, or keep it casual with a cold beer.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- Spaghetti: 200g
- Sausages: 4
- Onion: 1
- Green pepper: 1
- Salt: 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
- Ketchup: 3 tablespoons
- Butter: 10g
- Soy sauce: 1 teaspoon
- Parmesan cheese: to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the salt, and cook the spaghetti for one minute less than the package directions.
- Meanwhile, slice the sausages diagonally, halve and thinly slice the onion into rings, and slice the green pepper into thin strips.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and sausages until the onion softens. Add the green pepper, butter, ketchup, and soy sauce and continue cooking for another minute or two.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan along with three tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Toss well until everything is combined, then remove from the heat.
- Plate and finish with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
RELATED:
- RECIPE | Tender Daikon Radish with Demi-Glace
- RECIPE | Fire-Free Cooking for Busy Weeknights
- Finding Your 'Blue Zone' in Japanese Plant-Based Cuisine
- RECIPE | Hearty Chicken and Veg Meals to Boost Muscle and Nutrition
(Read the recipe in Japanese.)
Author: JAPAN Forward, recipe by Hiroki Hayami
