How to make Haitian Spaghetti, an easy recipe
Haitian Spaghetti is an easy and friendly recipe made completely from scratch. Not too saucy, flavored with the right spices, and tons of deliciousness from the uncured sausages. This is easy, weeknight-friendly spaghetti and meat sauce made completely from scratch.
Haitian Spaghetti, or Espageti, is a delicious and hearty dish that will surely please everyone at the table. It is a simple dish to make but packed with flavor. The key to making great Haitian Spaghetti is to use high-quality ingredients and cook it over low heat so that the flavors can meld together.
This is a non-traditional Haitian spaghetti recipe. The dish is traditionally made with hot dogs, but you can also use other types of meat, such as sausage, chicken, or beef. You can also add vegetables to the dish, such as onions, peppers, and tomatoes.
Further exploring what this Spaghetti is all about
What is Haitian Spaghetti, one might ask? This recipe includes spaghetti, hot dogs, tomato paste or ketchup, and spices. The recipe can be made in different ways; not many ingredients, and it does not take long to make. Unlike other recipes, the tomato paste or ketchup must be cooked in oil before adding the pasta. That is how the pasta gets its color.
Many individuals, including myself, have altered the recipe by changing the hot dogs for other types of meat links. My recipe usually has seafood, Italian sausage, chicken sausage, cut-up ham or turkey sausage, or no meat, depending on my mood.
Haitian Spaghetti Ingredients
- Spaghetti Noddles: choose a good brand. I often use Barilla noodles for all my pasta dishes.
- Olive oil: adds flavor. You can also use canola oil if preferred.
- Tomato paste: I use no-salt tomato paste because sausages or ham often contain a lot of sodium.
- Garlic Cloves: use fresh if you can, but powdered garlic is also good.
- White onions: you can also use red onions or shallots
- Thyme fresh: use leaves only. You can also use dried thyme.
- Chicken sausages or hot dogs or any other types of links or meat (organic preferred)
- Chicken bouillon powder, choose low sodium, preferably. Some people use Maggi cubes.
- Salt to taste. Use in moderation since the sausage might contain an ample amount of sodium.
- Reserved pasta water: this is very important. Reserve at least 1 cup.
- Ground Black Pepper to taste
- Red pepper crushed or habanero pepper – optional. I use NouBess Hot and Spicy Sauce to elevate the ingredients’ flavors.
How to make the recipe
- Boil pasta according to the packaging. Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan and add tomato sauce or ketchup. (if using ketchup, add one additional tablespoon) Cook tomato paste for 3 – 4 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add garlic, onion, and thyme, and cook for 4 minutes while stirring to blend. Add chicken bouillon and stir.
- In a separate pan, cook or pan-fried sausages in very little oil. Add to the tomato mixture.
- Add pasta to the pot with the tomato and sausages mixture and stir to blend while gradually adding the pasta water. Lower heat and cover, and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add crushed red pepper if using—season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a salad.
Note and Tips
Many people will add smoked herrings that must be desalted before cooking. Another variation I have tried is with anchovies, which have somewhat of a similar taste to the smoked herrings but are still good.
You can also add vegetables if you don’t want to add meat. Spinach and kale are perfect add-ons. Another great option is making Haitian Spaghetti with chicken, ground beef and with shrimp.
Haitian Spaghetti is what you made it out to be with the ingredients you use. The main goal is to obtain the reddish color and the desired taste. I usually use organic tomato paste instead of regular tomato paste.
Can you make it without meat? Of course, you can; you only need to adjust the taste.
How to serve the best Haitian Spaghetti recipe
Typically in Haiti, this dish is served for breakfast and lunch. It can even be served for dinner because it is so versatile. It is a full meal and is also served with avocado slices. The pasta is not saucy because there is no sauce. And not dry either because of the reserved spaghetti water.
Want to make it spicy?
Use Noubess hot and spicy sauces.
Other dishes ideas to serve my version of Haitian Spaghetti.
Try this recipe today and don’t forget to let us know what you think.
Here’s the recipe for Haitian spaghetti
Haitian Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 cup white onions
- 1 teaspoon thyme fresh, chopped
- 5 chicken sausages or hot dogs or any other types of links or meat (organic preferred)
- 1 ½ tablespoons chicken bouillon powder low sodium preferably
- salt to taste
- 1 ½ cups reserve pasta water
- pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper crushed or habanero pepper – optional
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to the packaging. In a heavy large saucepan, heat oil and add tomato sauce or ketchup. (if using ketchup add one additional tablespoon) Cook tomato paste for 3 – 4 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add garlic, onion, thyme, and cook for 4 minutes while stirring to blend. Add chicken bouillon and stir.
- In a separate pan, cook or pan-fried sausages in a very little oil. Add to the tomato mixture.
- Add pasta to the pot with the tomato and sausages mixture and stir to blend while gradually adding the pasta water. Lower heat and cover and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add crushed red pepper if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
I remember my mom making this dish when I was growing up and I loved it and I’m going to continue to feed it to my child
That’s a great idea! Traditions should always be preserved. Thank you for the visit, and be safe!
Easy and delicious. First time making this dish was a success! I loved the heat from the red pepper flakes. Wasn’t too greasy and bursting with flavor.
Glad you liked our recipe. Yes, red pepper flakes will give the dish a nice kick. Try the recipe with our Noubess hot sauces – you will love it even more. Thanks for sharing your opinion with us. 🙂
This was great. I used scallions because I was out of white onions. The family loved it!
Hi Uclid. I’m glad you liked it. You can also use shallots if you don’t have scallions or onions. Thanks for trying out the recipe. Don’t forget to try out any other recipe you would like.
Really quick and on point recipe!!!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it.