Nostalgic Napoli-style Pasta
Easy Homemade Japanese-style Napolitan Pasta Recipe
This pasta is incredibly simple to make with just tomato ketchup. It’s a delightful blast from the past!
Pasta Ingredients- 200g Spaghetti
- 1 Tbsp coarse salt (for boiling pasta)
- 2 Eggs
- 6 Vienna sausages
- 1 Green bell pepper
- 1/2 Onion
- Pinch of salt (for seasoning)
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Napolitan Sauce- 5 Tbsp Ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Tonkatsu sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sake (or Mirin)
- 5 Tbsp Ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Tonkatsu sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sake (or Mirin)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, bring a large pot of water (about 1 liter) to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of coarse salt. Once boiling, add 200g of spaghetti. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, or 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions, aiming for a perfectly al dente texture.
Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, let’s prepare the vegetables and sausages. Thinly slice the green bell pepper after removing the seeds. Slice the onion similarly. For the Vienna sausages, you can make shallow cuts or slice them into 3 pieces; this helps the sauce penetrate better.
Step 3
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions, Vienna sausages, and green bell pepper. Stir-fry quickly until the vegetables are tender-crisp, retaining a slight crunch.
Step 4
Once the onions become translucent and are about halfway cooked, it’s time to add the sauce ingredients that make this pasta special. Add 1 tablespoon of sake (or mirin) and let it cook off for a moment to remove the alcohol smell. Then, stir in 1 tablespoon of tonkatsu sauce and the star ingredient, 5 tablespoons of ketchup. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring well to coat the vegetables and allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
Step 5
Now, add the drained spaghetti directly to the sauce pan. Lightly drain the cooked pasta using a colander and add it to the pan. Season with a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of salt to adjust the taste. Gently toss everything together for about 1 minute, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce and doesn’t clump.
Step 6
Transfer the beautifully coated Napolitan pasta to a serving plate. For an extra special touch, top it with a fried egg (sunny-side up or over easy). Enjoy this simple yet incredibly satisfying and nostalgic dish!
