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Spaghetti Neapolitan sounds like Italian food from its name, but it is a quite Japanese food.Spaghetti Neapolitan is spaghetti pan-fried with onion and bell pepper, and seasoned with ketchup. Don’t say “Spaghetti with ketchup? Ew.” It tastes better than you think (Omurice is not so bad, right?). It was more popular a couple of decades ago, but it is still great; an easy to make at home kind of pasta in Japan.
Spaghetti Neapolitan used to be a very popular food at restaurants in Japan a long time ago. It was often served not at Italian restaurants, but at old-fashioned coffee shops in any town. That was a time there were no Starbucks in Japan. These coffee shops were little places run by a mom and pop . They often served light snacks such as sandwiches and hot dogs along with a little heavier dishes, like curry and rice and this Spaghetti Neapolitan. Those shops were usually very dark inside, had old decor, and smelled funky, but they almost always served the best foods! I’ve never encountered bad Spaghetti Neapolitan in the old coffee shops.
That said, it is actually kind of hard to make bad Spaghetti Neapolitan. The ingredients and steps of making it are simple. You just can’t mess it up. Sausage and ham are typical meats to use, but you could also use chicken or shrimp if you don’t like to use processed meats. At coffee shops, it is served with powdered cheese (I think it’s Parmesan cheese, but not sure … the closest is grated Parmesan cheese in a can!) and Tabasco. Seasoning with these at the table makes the dish even more authentic 🙂
It is impossible to find those dark, old and almost scary Japanese coffee shops in the US (and harder and harder in Japan too), so we just have to make this tasty and nostalgic dish at home. And luckily, it is so easy to make!
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote
Spaghetti Napolitan
Japanese style pan-fried spaghetti flavored with ketchup
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time8 minutes mins
Total Time18 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: pasta, spaghetti
Servings: 2 servings
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Ingredients
- 7 oz spaghetti
- 3-4 smoked sausages small
- 1/2 brown onion
- 1/4 green pepper
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 4-5 Tbsp ketchup
- salt
- parsley
- Parmesan cheese grated
Metric – US Customary
Instructions
Cook spaghetti in boiling water with salt according to the package.
Cut sausage into bite size pieces and slice onion and green pepper thinly.
Heat a frying pan at medium high heat and add oil. Add sausage pieces, onion and peppers, and cook for a minute or two. Add cooked spaghetti and stir-fry for a minute, then add ketchup. Season with a little salt.
Divide pasta in bowls and top with parsley and cheese if you wish.
Video
spaghetti
May 21, 2014 By JapaneseCooking101
About JapaneseCooking101
Noriko and Yuko, the authors of this site, are both from Japan but now live in California. They love cooking and eating great food, and share a similar passion for home cooking using fresh ingredients.Noriko and Yuko plan and develop recipes together for Japanese Cooking 101. They cook and shoot photos/videos at their home kitchen(s.)
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Master Kosa
June 4, 2014 at 4:42 pm
That looks even easier than the simplest traditional Italian spaghetti… well today’s dinner was decided.
Noriko
September 14, 2014 at 3:33 pm
Master Kosa,
It is easy and also tasty! We also have Spaghetti with Shimeji Mushroom recipe if you like more Japanese style pasta!
Nau
December 29, 2015 at 5:26 pm
いいね！
This looks simple and tasty~
I spent several years living in Japan and was at first shocked by Napolitan when I ordered it in a restaurant expecting something a bit more traditional, but now I love it! Very nostalgic food~ simple, cheap and delicious!
Noriko
December 29, 2015 at 11:04 pm
Nau,
thanks for the comment! Enjoy our Spaghetti Neapolitan recipe!
Christus
January 20, 2016 at 11:39 pm
could i use something besides ketchup?
marife mendoza
July 31, 2016 at 9:37 am
what kind of ketchup did you used for the naporitan?
Umesh Kumar
September 5, 2016 at 2:18 am
Excellent dish
James
December 29, 2016 at 12:00 am
My mum used to make this when she couldn’t be bothered with anything special, it’s very straightforward but I love it. childhood memories.
just don’t make it for your Italian friends.
