If you grew up in a Haitian home, you probably had this dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you didn’t here’s a little information about this dish and why we call it Haitian Spaghetti.
Haitian Spaghetti is made with spaghetti, hot dogs, tomato paste or ketchup and spices. The recipe can be made different ways; not a lot of ingredients and it does not take long to make. Unlike other recipes, the tomato paste or ketchup must be cooked in oil before the pasta is added. That is how the pasta gets its color.
A lot of Haitian altered the recipe by changing the hot dogs for other types of meat links like Italian sausage, chicken sausage, cut up ham meat or turkey sausage, smoked herrings that must be de-salted before cooking or basically no meat depending on your mood. 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.
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 serve with avocado slices. The pasta is not saucy because there is no sauce. And not dry either because of the other ingredients. The recipe below is made with organic spicy mango and Jalapeno chicken sausage.
Ingredients
1lb. spaghetti
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 ½ cups diced white onions
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
5 hotdogs or sausage links, cubed or sliced
1 ½ tbsp. chicken bouillon powder (about 6 cubes crushed)
1 ½-2 cups reserved pasta water—very important
pepper (to taste)
½ teaspoon red pepper (crushed) or habanero pepper – optional
Directions
Boil pasta according to package instructions two minutes short of recommended cooking time or until “al dente.” Don’t worry, it will cook further in the sauce. In a heavy large saucepan, heat oil and add tomato paste. Cook tomato paste for 3 – 4 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add garlic, onion and thyme and cook for 5 minutes while occasionally stirring. Add the hotdogs and chicken bouillon and continue browning the meat. Add the cooked pasta and stir to scrape up all the deliciousness on the bottom of the pan while gradually adding the reserved pasta water. Lower heat and cook for another 3-5 minutes, the starchy pasta water will help distribute the sauce and thicken, the finished dish will not have any excess liquid in the bottom of the pan, all the sauce will be clinging to the noodles.* Add crushed red pepper if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste, but be careful as you may not need any more salt due to the chicken bouillon. Serve hot.
This is definitely a Haitian dish I think all Haitians should know how to make.
Recipe Source Carribean Green Living and Dinner For Women
