This is a veganised version of my all-time favourite Filipino-Style Sweet Spaghetti. So Italians, please just look away! Because we Filipinos have created a style of spaghetti that Italians won’t be so happy about, because we like our spaghetti sauce really sweet.
WHAT IS FILIPINO SPAGHETTI
This Filipino-Style Sweet Spaghetti is our adaptation of Italian Bolognese or spaghetti with meat sauce. It has sweet meat sauce packed with ground meat and sliced hot dogs, that’s sweetened with brown sugar and ketchup.
The sauce is enjoyed with cooked spaghetti and finished off with grated cheddar cheese to add some saltiness and cheesiness. Filipino spaghetti is also a staple in children’s parties along with fried chicken. I loved this combo growing up, and still do—but vegan versions of course!
WHAT DO YOU PUT INSIDE THE FILIPINO SPAGHETTI SAUCE
Filipino spaghetti sauce usually has ground meat and sliced hotdogs.
As for the tomato sauce, here are a lot of ready-to-use ‘Filipino style spaghetti sauce’ options I find in local groceries in the Philippines, which are seasoned specially for Filipino spaghetti so they’re already sweetened. I took into consideration that not everyone has access to these, especially outside the Philippines, so this recipe makes use of tomato sauce that’s cooked down with a bit of seasonings but not made specially for Filipino style spaghetti. So I utilise brown sugar and tomato ketchup for this recipe to sweeten the sauce.
Banana ketchup is also more traditionally used as a great addition to Filipino spaghetti but since it’s not readily available in all countries, I decided to use more commonly found tomato ketchup.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE FILIPINO SPAGHETTI
FOR THE ‘MEAT’ SAUCE
You’ll find the full printable recipe in the card below.
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 cups sliced vegan sausage 250 g (see notes)
- 1 cup dry TVP (texturised vegetable protein) 65 g, see notes in the card below for alternatives
- 2 cups tomato sauce , see recipe notes below
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste , see recipe notes below
- 1/2 cup ketchup I used tomato ketchup (see recipe notes below)
- 1/2 cup no beef broth or vegetable stock see notes,
- 1/4 cup sugar plus more if needed (see recipe notes below)
- Pinch salt to taste if needed
VEGAN SAUSAGES
- I used a local Filipino brand of sausages from Country Vegefoods that are very neutral tasting. If you can find neutral-tasting/original sausages, those would be best so they go well with the sauce.
TVP/PLANT BASED GROUND/VEGAN MINCE
- Instead of TVP, you can also ground meat alternatives like those from Gardein, OmniPork, Beyond Meat, etc.
DO NOTE that some plant-based ground meat alternatives are already seasoned so it’s best to taste these before adding more salt to the sauce.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES
- You can use 2 cups of fresh mushrooms and dice or mince these to use. You can use mushrooms like shiitake, king oyster, button, etc.You can also use cooked lentils. I personally like to use red lentils.
TOMATO SAUCE
- Filipino tomato sauces in the market are usually cooked down and thickened with some starch so have a consistency almost similar to tomato sauce. If you have a runnier/more watery tomato sauce similar to Italian passata, you should add more tomato paste to thicken it.
- Although I highly recommend to use tomato sauce, that’s cooked down and thickened for this recipe since it has a much thicker consistency.
TOMATO KETCHUP
- First of all, yes, we add ketchup in Filipino spaghetti! It’s actually usually banana ketchup that’s used but I wanted to make a version that was easy for you to replicate in case you don’t have access to banana ketchup so I used tomato ketchup.
- I used Del Monte’s original tomato ketchup, which is a local tomato ketchup that’s considerably sweeter compared to other tomato ketchup like those of Heinz. You will need to add more sugar to counter the acidity of your ketchup depending on your sweetness preference.
NO BEEF BROTH
- I diluted 1/2 Edward & Son’s No Beef Cube in 1/2 cup hot water. You can also use vegetable stock.
IS FILIPINO SPAGHETTI SWEET?
- Filipino spaghetti is traditionally very sweet so don’t be afraid to add sugar. Adding a salty cheddar cheese (I used Daiya’s cheddar shreds) also brings a great contrast to the the sweetness of the spaghetti.
- For the sugar, you may need to add more depending on the type of tomato sauce and ketchup you use.
- Some tomato sauces are unsweetened so would need some more sugar. This will also depend on the sweetness or acidity of your ketchup. I used a local Filipino tomato ketchup that is a bit sweet and less acidic that ketchup like those from Heinz so I used less sugar.
SPAGHETTI
- 14 oz dry spaghetti
- Drizzle neutral oil
TO FINISH
- 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds for topping (I used Daiya cheddar shreds)
HOW TO MAKE THE ‘MEAT’ SAUCE
- If using TVP: rehydrate the TVP by placing it in a large bowl. Pour over room temperature water and leave it to soak until rehydrated. You can also use hot or warm water, but I found that room temperate water works perfectly fine.
- Heat a dutch over or pot over medium heat. Add the oil. Once hot, sauté diced onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the sliced sausages and TVP. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat.
- Add in the tomato sauce, tomato paste ketchup, no beef broth/vegetable stock, and sugar (if using). Mix well. Leave to simmer over medium heat. Once it boils, add some salt, to taste, if needed. Leave over medium to also to come to a gentle simmer.
COOK THE SPAGHETTI
- Meanwhile, prepare a large pot of water and allow it to boil for the spaghetti. Generously salt the water. Leave the spaghetti to cook. I keep my spaghetti and sauce separate so I make sure the spaghetti is cooked since I won’t be cooking this down in the sauce unlike in Italian pastas.
- Once cooked, you can run the spaghetti over water or simply strain the excess water. I transfer the spaghetti into a large bowl and drizzle some oil into the cooked spaghetti. Mix well to coat. This is to ensure the spaghetti doesn’t still together as it sits.
TASTE THE SAUCE AND ADJUST TO TASTE, IF NEEDED
- Taste the ‘meat’ sauce and season with more sugar, for sweetness, if desired. Filipino spaghetti is traditionally very sweet so don’t skimp on the sugar! Turn off the heat.
HOW TO ENJOY FILIPINO SPAGHETTI
- You can serve the cooked spaghetti in a large bowl and the sauce in the pot to keep it warm. We get a serving of spaghetti and scoop some sauce to pour over it — we enjoy our spaghetti like this at home.
- Finish off with some grated vegan cheddar cheese. Mix everything well to coat the spaghetti in the sauce and add more, if needed. Enjoy!
MORE VEGAN FILIPINO RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE:
- Adobo
- Tokwa’t Baboy
- Filipino Kaldereta or ‘Meat’ Stew
- Mushroom Tocino
- Filipino “Pork” Barbecue
- Tofu and Mushroom Salpicao
- Bola-Bola (Filipino Meatballs)
- Lumpiang Shanghai
- Ensaladang Talong (Filipino Style Eggplant Salad)
Filipino Style Sweet Spaghetti (Vegan)
This is a veganised version of my all-time favourite Filipino-Style Sweet Spaghetti.
This Filipino-Style Sweet Spaghetti is our adaptation of Italian Bolognese or spaghetti with meat sauce. It has sweet meat sauce packed with ground meat and sliced hot dogs, that’s sweetened with brown sugar and ketchup.
Ingredients
Filipino ‘Meat’ Sauce
- 1 cup dry TVP (texturised vegetable protein) , see notes for alternatives
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 cups sliced vegan sausage (see notes)
- 2 cups tomato sauce , see recipe notes
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste , see recipe notes
- 1/2 cup ketchup , I used tomato ketchup (see notes)
- 1/2 cup no beef broth or vegetable stock , see notes
- 1/4 cup sugar plus more if needed (see notes)
- Pinch salt to taste if needed
Spaghetti
- 14 oz dry spaghetti
- Drizzle neutral oil
To Finish
- 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds for topping (I used Daiya cheddar shreds)
Instructions
- If using TVP: rehydrate the TVP by placing it in a large bowl. Pour over room temperature water and leave it to soak until rehydrated, about 5-10 minutes. You can also use hot or warm water, but I found that room temperate water works perfectly fine.
- Once rehydrated, drain the TVP from water and squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Heat a dutch over or pot over medium heat. Add the oil. Once hot, sauté diced onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the sliced sausages and TVP. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat.
- Add in the tomato sauce, tomato paste ketchup, no beef broth/vegetable stock, and sugar (if using). Mix well. Leave to simmer over medium heat. Once it boils, add some salt, to taste, if needed. Leave over medium to also to come to a gentle simmer.
- Meanwhile, prepare a large pot of water and allow it to boil for the spaghetti. Generously salt the water. Leave the spaghetti to cook. I keep my spaghetti and sauce separate so I make sure the spaghetti is cooked since I won’t be cooking this down in the sauce unlike in Italian pastas.
- Once cooked, you can run the spaghetti over water or simply strain the excess water. I transfer the spaghetti into a large bowl and drizzle some oil into the cooked spaghetti. Mix well to coat. This is to ensure the spaghetti doesn’t still together as it sits.
- Taste the 'meat' sauce and season with more sugar, for sweetness, if desired. Filipino spaghetti is traditionally very sweet so don't skimp on the sugar! Turn off the heat.
TO SERVE
- You can serve the cooked spaghetti in a large bowl and the sauce in the pot to keep it warm. We get a serving of spaghetti and scoop some sauce to pour over it — we enjoy our spaghetti like this at home.
- Finish off with some grated vegan cheddar cheese. Mix well to coat the spaghetti in the sauce and add more, if needed. Enjoy!
Notes
TVP/PLANT BASED GROUND/VEGAN MINCE
- Instead of TVP, you can also ground meat alternatives like those from Gardein, OmniPork, Beyond Meat, etc.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES
- You can use 2 cups of fresh mushrooms and dice or mince these to use. You can use mushrooms like shiitake, king oyster, button, etc.
- You can also use cooked lentils. I personally like to use red lentils.
VEGAN SAUSAGES
- I used a local Filipino brand of sausages from Country Vegefoods that are very neutral tasting. If you can find neutral-tasting/original sausages, those would be best so they go well with the sauce.
TOMATO SAUCE
- Filipino tomato sauces in the market are usually cooked down and thickened with some starch so have a consistency almost similar to tomato sauce. If you have a runnier/more watery tomato sauce similar to Italian passata, you should add more tomato paste to thicken it.
- Although I highly recommend to use tomato sauce, that’s cooked down and thickened for this recipe since it has a much thicker consistency.
NO BEEF BROTH
- I diluted 1/2 Edward & Son’s No Beef Cube in 1/2 cup hot water. You can also use vegetable stock.
TOMATO KETCHUP
- First of all, yes, we add ketchup in Filipino spaghetti! It’s actually usually banana ketchup that’s used but I wanted to make a version that was easy for you to replicate in case you don’t have access to banana ketchup so I used tomato ketchup.
- I used Del Monte’s original tomato ketchup, which is a local tomato ketchup that’s considerably sweeter compared to other tomato ketchup like those of Heinz. You will need to add more sugar to counter the acidity of your ketchup depending on your sweetness preference.
SWEETNESS

- For the sugar, you may need to add more depending on the type of tomato sauce and ketchup you use.
- Some tomato sauces are unsweetened so would need some more sugar. This will also depend on the sweetness or acidity of your ketchup. I used a local Filipino tomato ketchup that is a bit sweet and less acidic that ketchup like those from Heinz so I used less sugar.
- Filipino spaghetti is really traditionally sweet so don’t be afraid to add sugar. Adding a salty cheddar cheese (I used Daiya’s cheddar shreds) also brings a great contrast to the the sweetness of the spaghetti.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 948mg | Potassium: 535mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 539IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 5mg
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