Need a family meal that can be ready in 30 minutes? Try this easy Japanese ketchup spaghetti (Napolitan) recipe with bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and sausage.
Ketchup in Spaghetti?! Yes, it’s a spaghetti recipe that is seasoned with ketchup. This ketchup flavored pasta is popular and widely available at cafe restaurants in Japan and we call it Napolitan (ナポリタン).
The idea of spaghetti with ketchup sauce may make any Italians cringe, but it’s one that wins hearts once you give it a try. Many of my readers have requested the recipe after tasting it in Japan. They all referred the dish as “Ketchup Pasta“, so I’m also calling it Ketchup Spaghetti here.
Origin of Napolitan
There are a few theories of how Napolitan (or Naporitan ナポリタン) or Ketchup Spaghetti originated. The strongest theory is that it’s originated in Yokohama during the post-war era.
Around the 1950s, the head chef at the New Grand Hotel in Yokohama created this recipe when he was inspired by the spaghetti and tomato sauce dish served for the American military. Since tomato sauce was a rare ingredient at that time, ketchup was used as a substitute for the pasta. He then named it “Spaghetti Napolitan”, or Napoli, after Naples, Italy.
Around the same time, Japan started to open itself to the world and new ideas from the west were considered fashionable. These newly westernized dishes like Spaghetti Meat Sauce and Spaghetti Napolitan received amazing responses that they became mainstays in the cafes and Japanese home kitchens. Until these days, the two dishes are still two of the most popular pasta dishes among Yoshoku (western-influenced food 洋食) in Japan.
Why You’ll Love This Wafu Pasta
The genius about Spaghetti Napolitan is it utilizes most of the pantry staples at your kitchen. The common ingredients include onion, mushrooms, green bell peppers, and sausages (ham or bacon). It’s seasoned with ketchup and Parmesan cheese and served with Tabasco sauce.
It’s really flexible too! That means you can throw in whatever happens to be in-season or on-hand in your kitchen. Try bacon in place of sausage. Use peas in place of bell pepper. Top it with a fried egg if you’d like. But simple is good for this recipe.
To make it vegetarian-friendly, simply leave out the meat and add in more mushrooms. Mix it up with a different type of mushrooms for texture and flavor.
This dish is really easy to make and the flavor is kids-friendly. It makes the ideal meal for a quick dinner if you have a family with young children. I remember my son used to request for Ketchup Spaghetti when I ask what kind of pasta he would like for lunch.
Ketchup As The Key Flavoring
Japanese has been using ketchup in flavoring various dishes as this all-star American condiment lends a deep depth with its sweet-tangy profile.
You can find ketchup being used in Japanese Curry, Omurice, Ebi Chili and a pasta dish like Spaghetti Napolitan. It’s a great example of how open we are when comes to adapting other cultural influences in improving our own cuisine.
Itadakimasu!
It cannot be easier to put this Ketchup spaghetti together! For a fancy yet effortless weeknight dinner, serve it with a green salad and wine. Enjoy!
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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Need a family meal ready in 30 minutes? Try this easy Japanese ketchup spaghetti (Napolitan) recipe with bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and sausage.
- 7 oz spaghetti (200 g)
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ - ½ onion
- 6 sausages (I use Japanese kurobuta (black pork) sausages, but you can use 2 Italian sausages, hams, bacon, etc)
- 1 bell pepper
- 4-6 mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (freshly ground)
- 4 Tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp sugar (optional)
- 1-3 Tbsp reserved pasta water
- kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
- freshly ground black pepper
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Gather all the ingredients.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
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Meanwhile, mince the garlic clove and slice onion, sausages, bell pepper, and mushrooms.
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In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, just until golden and fragrant.
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Add the onions to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
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When the onions are wilted, add the sausages and sauté for 1 minute.
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Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and sauté until everything is cooked.
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Add the Sauce ingredients: Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar (optional). When the sauce thickens, add the pasta cooking water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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As soon as the pasta is cooked and drained, add to the pan and toss to combine using tongs.
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Add the milk and Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately in warmed plates.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Other Japanese-Style Pasta Recipes on Just One Cookbook
- Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage
- Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Pasta
- Ume Shiso Pasta
- Japanese-style Pasta with Shrimp and Broccolini
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Apr 19, 2013. The post has been edited and republished in April 2020.
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Yeah, there is a Neopolitan sauce. As I understand it it’s a ragu, like bolognese, but made with whole meat pieces. I’m running to google now to learn more!
Hi Mags! Thanks for your input! I think there may be a ragu called Neapolitan (I saw one video which an Italian chef was making Neapolitan pasta), but definitely NO ketchup. 😀
Would you believe we just finished up some spaghetti and meatballs this week, so I have to wait a while to try this Ketchup Spaghetti. But thank you for sharing the wine choice! It’s always nice to get a good pairing. Have a wonderful weekend, Nami!
Hi Donna! Have you tried Napoletan before? It’s a comfort dish which brings back of my childhood memory. 🙂
My mother made ketchup spaghetti, though instead of kurobuta sausage she used sliced bologna. She was from the Yokohama area, so I’m guessing that’s where she learned to make this particular spaghetti sauce. Also, “real” meat was hard to come by after the war, so I suspect the bologna was a postwar staple just as Spam was in the UK.
Unfortunately, I grew up and took cooking classes from chefs who looked down on ketchup, so I never made the dish myself. When my mother died, I was sorry I didn’t write down her recipe for ketchup spaghetti—until now. Thank you so much for posting this!
Hi Eleanor! This spaghetti became popular in Yokohama, but now it’s pretty much all over the place in Japan and always found in Yoshoku (western style) restaurants and cafes. 🙂
Haha, I understand about the ketchup. I’m not a huge ketchup fan too (I eat french fries without dipping in ketchup until I get bored with salt taste…then I’d dip in ketchup). Hope you can recreate your mom’s flavor!
Nami: I love your blog! My Uncle Yutaka turned me on to it, and I’ve turned it on to some of my cousins. I’ve had this in Japan over 20 years ago and swore it was ketchup! Thank you for validifing the use of ketchup!
Wondering if you’ve ever run into a recipe for: ume spaghetti? It has shiso leaves in it. Or-maybe it is shiso spaghetti? I had it at a restaurant in Carson (or Cypress) in So CA: Hiro’s Cafe. It was so delicious!
Hi Pam! Thank you so much for following my blog and for introducing my site to more people! That means a lot to me. THANK YOU!!! xoxo
I love shiso & ume pasta with sprinkled nori. Ahhhh! I am craving for it now! When I go to Japanese style pasta restaurant in Japan (unfortunately not around in SF area), I always order that. I need to remember this restaurant when I go to SoCal! Or I should recreate my own version. Thanks for your suggestion! 🙂
Growing up, my dad would make spaghetti for us with jarred sauce and add copious amount of ketchup and sugar. It’s been so long and now I feel so nostalgic! I not only want to try your recipe, but want to visit him and ask if he would make his spaghetti for me as well. Thanks =)
Hi Janice! Thank you for your lovely story! That’s wonderful that you have a wonderful memory of food your dad made. I don’t remember when or if my dad ever cooked! 😀 Your dad will be so happy to see you and hear that you miss his food. 🙂
My mother is Japanese and used to make this for the all the time growing up. It really is delicious! I’m happy to see the recipe here. Can’t wait to make it for my own daughters!
Hi Stephanie! I think this dish is made more at home than eating out. I never had anything against ketchup growing up because of this delicious dish… 🙂 Hope you and your daughters enjoy this dish!
Thank you for the memory! My ojiisan made us spaghetti with ketchup and hamburger! He also did a fried rice with ketchup and hamburger! Hadn’t thought about that for years!
Hi Dar! So happy to hear about your Ojiisan’s recipe! Wow he cooked? I don’t remember my grandpas or my dad made any dish! Yep, ketchup chahan is delicious too!
Hi Nami,
Happy Friday! I recently asked if you had a recipe for this. Thank you so much for posting this recipe so quickly. =D
Your photo of the Spaghetti Neapolitan (aka Ketchup Spaghetti) is beautiful. I’ve never thought to pair it with wine, but will give it a try when I make your version of the Spaghetti Neapolitan.
Have a wonderful weekend with your family.
Hi Candice! Yes, you are one of the readers and the first person who requested! Thank YOU for your request. So many readers told me this post reminded of their childhood memory and I was really happy to share this post. 🙂
This is surprisingly delicious. I’ve had it several times and I must say the first time I didn’t realize it contained ketchup. (Maybe I was still jetlagged!) Children and some grown men are crazy for ‘Ketchup Spaghetti’. The grown men includes my husband. Last year I read the book, ‘Pure Ketchup’ by Andrew F. Smith and it was an very interesting book.
Hi Kitty! Yeah “surprisingly” is totally the right word because I think some people are not used to seeing ketchup with pasta. LOL… Pure Ketchup sounds like an interesting book to read!
Hi Nami! What kind of mushroom did you use? I am sooo excited to try this recipe for my little boy.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Cha! I use button mushrooms, but you can use enoki mushrooms, eringi mushrooms, maybe even shiitake mushrooms too! Hope that helps! 🙂
Here in Germany many Italian restaurants serve Pasta Napolitana, it’s tomato sauce, like Americans eat spaghetti with marinara sauce
Thank you so much for letting me know Asami! Some Italian blogger told me that Spaghetti Neapolitan doesn’t exist. It was interesting to hear there is a name “Pasta Napolitana” in Germany. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!
Hi Emily! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so happy you liked it!! 🙂
Hi Nami,
Hope u are having a good weekend.
I am just wondering if I can use salami instead of Italian sausages. Will that work too?
Please advise. Thanks!
Regards,
Cindy
Hi Cindy! Thank you, it was busy but we had good weekend. Hope you had good one, too. Sure, you can use salami, ham, any kind of meat you have in your fridge. Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Hi Nami,
My mother used to cook a lot of that when we were growing up at home (in Paris, but she grew up just after the war near Tokyo so that explains a lot). My brother and I used to love this almost as much as omurice (typical for kids) but at home we just called it akai spaghetti (as in 赤い). And as of this day I am still cooking it on my own (minus the bell pepper that I think kills the onions).
Thank you for your blog where I can find almost all the dishes I used to eat when I was a kid!
Best.
Mayumi.
Hi Mayumi! I remember it was one of my favorite spaghetti too! It’s so easy to make and we usually have ingredients at home so my mom would cook it sometimes for lunch. “Akai Spaghetti” hehee that’s a cute nickname! I personally don’t eat green bell pepper (I start to get heartburn) but it’s one of ingredients in “classic” napolitan recipe, I think. 😉
no in Italy they normally don’t use ketchup in their spaghetti. its usually tomatos, tomato paste. Actually using ketchup with any kind of pasta is forbidden but I know italians who do add some ketchup to the marinara sauce.
Hi Silvia! I think this dish is created by Japanese who was working for a hotel in Japan back in the 50s when we get a lot of influence from the Americans. 🙂 Ketchup is very American thing. 🙂 But it’s funny how the name implies Italian… maybe because it’s pasta dish. 🙂
Nami, I tried this dish for lunch tonight and I have to admit, it turned out great and so reminded me of dishes I have tried while living in Japan. I just added some red pepperflakes, and used hot Italian Sausage. In the end I added a Tbspoon of Mirin… it was great. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi Kerstin! Thank you for trying this recipe! The “ketchup” as seasoning sounds a little strange, but when it’s convined with Worcestershire sauce, it is actually really delicious! Good idea to make it spicy with pepper flakes and hot sausages and balance out with mirin. Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hello!gud morning I really want to try your ketchup spaghetti .your very creative to your foods that’s why I want to try it at home.can u advise me about other brands of ketchup b’coz I am nt familiar at Japanese store in case I cud not find organic ketchup.wat brand I can use?thank you ^_^
Hi Grace! I use Trader Joe’s organic ketchup. It doesn’t have to be specific brand of ketchup for this recipe, but I try to get organic and good quality ones. 🙂
Hi Nami! Have you ever heard of this spaghetti dish being made with *just* ketchup and a little mirin? That’s what my mom does, but I noticed there isn’t any mirin in your recipe. I’m going to try yours tonight, because based on all of the other recipes I tried from you, I know this is going to taste great 🙂 !!!
Hi Marie! It really depends on your personal taste, and the brand of ketchup. I like adding a bit of salty condiments to ketchup so it’s not too “ketchupy”. A splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce is a wonderful touch. Some brand of ketchup can be a bit sour, so sugar can help make it more mild (but not necessary). Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Brings back so much memories! I lived in Tokyo as a young child almost 60 years ago with my Mom’s family in Roppongi, Azabu, Minatoku(?)close to Mikawadai Koen. My mom made what I called “fried spaghetti” for me and I loved it. I haven’t eaten “fried spaghetti” since then. Thanks for posting the recipe – I’ll try it for sure.
Happy to know this reminded you your childhood memories in Japan! Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
I remember the “spaghetti” my Mom used when I was a kid in Tokyo – in the 1950s – was different from the pasta we buy in the U.S. Am I confused or was it different?
If the noodles were coated with ketchup flavor, most likely it’s spaghetti. But I’m not sure what brand or type of spaghetti used back then. Could be different? Neapolitan uses spaghetti all the time. 🙂
I have eaten spaghetti napolitan plenty of times in Japan, although mostly from 7-11, so I was super excited to try this recipe. I made mine with cacciatore sausage because that was what I had in the fridge — and it was delicious! Perfect with the cacciatore, and a really amazing sauce. I always liked even my 7-11 spaghetti napolitan, but this was much, much better. Thank you so much for this recipe! I am looking forward to cooking it again very soon.
Hi Jaseroque! Homemade is much better because you don’t have to worry about preservatives and you can make with fresh ingredients! And it’s pretty simple and easy to make. 🙂 I’m so happy to hear you liked it. Thank you very much for taking your time to leave a kind feedback. I really appreciate it. 🙂 xo
This is a uniquely Japanese dish. There is no equivalent in Italy. The closest dishes we have are:
Spaghetti Pomodoro – Which is simply spaghetti mixed with a tomato sauce made from fresh San Marzano tomatoes, basil, garlic, chili pepper, and olive oil.
Ragu Napoletana – This is a sauce containing short rib or pork sausage, basil, olive oil, garlic, onion, wine, fennel seed, pureed fresh tomatoes (called passata) or a can of San Marzano tomatoes. It is slow cooked at low heat for at least 4 hours.
Thanks so much for sharing! Yes, this is totally a Japanese dish!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naporitan
But I’m curious why they choose the name…. 🙂
Why do you add milk at the end?
Hi Victoria! To make it slightly creamier. You can use pasta cooking liquid, if you like, but milk is often added to this recipe. 🙂
Ketchup, wonder how some Contadina Pizza Squeeze would work?
Hi OINC! I have never tried this brand before, so I don’t know how it tastes like. If you like it, and similar to ketchup, I guess it works? It’s hard to know the flavor without trying myself. 🙂
In Japan would they use ketchup and worchestershire. Or Tonkatsu sauce?
Hi Eric! Are you asking for this recipe, or in general? For this recipe, we use ketchup and the following condiments are common – Worcestershire sauce (Usuta sauce, in Japanese), tonkatsu sauce, soy sauce. 🙂
Just made this for lunch. Nana loves the smell!
Hi Rose! I’m happy to hear that! Thank you!!
Hey do I have to use the milk at the end of the recipe?
Hi Jeinny! You can skip. 🙂
I was browsing to look for a spaghetti napolitan recipe last night, then found your site by chance: After a little while of looking into your site, I felt “Jack pot!” —your site is very organized, neat, and user friendly. Most of all, I was so excited about your wide repertoire of practical Japanese recipes!!! I’m Japanese who lives in mid-west, a wife & a mother who loves cooking for my family. —so I’ve just tried your “ketchup spaghetti” recipe, and served for dinner—it tasted as good as I remembered from home 🙂 I think your recipe is a keeper–thank you very much! One question: I told my husband how excited I was to find your site, and he asked, “does she have ‘cream pan’ recipe?” I saw your ‘Anpan’ recipe, but didn’t find ‘cream pan’, so in the future if you consider, please share, I’d appreciate! Thank you!!
Hi Mayumi! Welcome to my blog! So happy to hear you found my site when you are looking for Napolitan! 😀 Thank you for your kind words about my blog and recipes. Please let your husband know that Cream Pan recipe has been on the list. Too many things to make and share for the blog, but it’s one of top requested recipes, so hopefully I can work on it soon! 🙂 Thank you for your kind comment and feedback. xoxo
Thank you for your kind response, Nami! My family will be delighted to try/taste your future Cream Pan recipe! Tonight, as a quick & easy dinner, I’m going to try your “shrimp fried rice.” Your site is truly inspirational, thank you!!
Thank you Mayumi! Hope the shrimp fried rice turned out well. 🙂
And I’m back! This was the second recipe we tried. I had some very skeptical family members when they heard ketchup and pasta, but, we were amazed at how much it tasted like an American pasta dish. We’ll have to swing back to something more exotic for our 3rd recipe 😉
Hi Heather! Welcome back! 🙂 Hahaha! Yeah, I learned about people who dislike ketchup when I posted this recipe on Facebook. I didn’t know some Americans don’t like ketchup (thinking that it came from here…). I thought Ketchup to Americans was equivalent to soy sauce to Japanese… I was wrong. 🙂 Thanks to Ketchup introduced in 1950’s, we’ve been enjoying using ketchup in Japan quite a bit. xD Looking forward to hearing about your 3rd dish!
Tried your recipe and this was wonderful!
Hi Skhylar! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy you enjoyed it!
In Italy doesn’t exist anything like these spaghetti. In addition, spaghetti with ketchup sounds a little weird, but after I read your recipe, I think that the amount of ketchup isn’t so big, so the dish seems to be unusual but tasty. I’ll try it!
Hi Rosanna! I know, it must be horrifying to see this… I can imagine it’s like me seeing sushi with some kind of weird sauce. Well, if we don’t connect pasta with Italian dishes and just as “noodles”…. this dish is quite delicious. Some Italian blogger and readers tried this Japanese pasta and they were surprised how good it was. Hehehe… Hope you enjoy this classic dish!
I always thought of this as English spaghetti. Mother was an English “war bridd” and had learned to make do with little When the Americans came over one of the items they could get her her was ketchup. Later over here she upgraded to condensed cream of tomato soup
Hello!! Wow, that is interesting! This is the first time I heard about the existence of similar “ketchup” spaghetti in Europe! So in Japan, it became an official spaghetti menu!! Thank you for taking your time to share this. It’s fascinating!
This is SO good if you use a good quality ketchup (homemade, organic, not name-brand, etc.). I really enjoyed this, and would love to try it with a better sausage next time. I had chicken Italian sausages, which were fine, but I’m not very fond of fennel seeds in Western dishes. I might try with some chicken-apple sausages next time, or kielbasa. I’m not sure if I can find the Japanese sausages here.
Hi Lion! I agree with you, and better sausage makes the whole dish more delicious for sure! Thank you for your feedback, Lion. Glad you enjoyed it!
Arigatto gozaimasu! It was very useful???? i’m gonna cook it????
Hi Fatima! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
When my kids were growing up their mother used to make spaghetti with cream cheese and ketchup. Her family was from Brooklyn NY and I think the idea came from there.
Hi Bond! How interesting, cream cheese is added!!! Thank you for sharing your story with us!
What on earth does “sausages (ham or bacon)” mean? Neither one of those things are sausages.
Hi Clay! Some people who do not want to use sausages can use bacon or ham. This recipe is commonly made with one of them. Hope that makes sense. 🙂
I am from Naples, Italy and I knew of this abominium created in Japan when about 30 years ago I started read Manga.
My first reaction was “Ehi, cool, even in Japan they love Neapolitan Ragù”.
When some years after I realized it was pasta with ketchup I started ROTFLing like hell. ^_^
Put ketchup on pasta is a mandatory NO-NO of Italian cuisine just as for example chicken in pizza, chicken with cheese (chicken Parmesan), any kind of fish or seafruits with cheeses like Parmesan or Mozzarella, pineapple on Pizza (that causes stomachache when mixed with dough, jam, tomato sauce and cheese), chicken with fish or seafruits and drinking milk like as for Cappuccino during a meal or just after a meal (another dangerous mix for the stomach).
Such kind of food could had caused a declaration of war by Italy to Japan if served in an official lunch, if it had existed when there was still Kingdom of Italy and if not a war, at least a serious International incident believing Japanese intending to offend Italian Diplomatic Personnel. or the Ambassado in person. No kidding, people. =_=
If it is delicious it is just because it is a mishmash of flavours where the sugar of onions, the meat and/or salt of bacon and sausages and the prickly of mushrooms just cover the vinager tomato flavor of ketchup.
You don’t have to believe me. Just try to ask in Italy to put ketchup on pasta in a restaurant and you will experience the astonished faces of the waiters.
I myself put ketchup on pasta or milk and sugar in pasta, or honey on pasta at age of five to dare my cousins to eat the most disgusting things we could inventing as a joke.
Sorry for I had broken your dreams. But the bare truth is to be preferred to any white lies of circumstances.
With respect.
Raffaele
Hi Raffaele! Don’t worry this kind of things happen to every culture/cuisine. It’s the same for Japanese when we see sushi or other Japanese food in other countries. It’s is NOT Japanese food at all! What have they done to our traditional food!! But unless you’re Japanese, you wouldn’t know the difference. As the world is getting smaller, hopefully, people travel more and share knowledge. This Naporitan (or Napolitan) was created during the war when there was a shortage of tomato sauce. We did not include ketchup or tomato sauce in Japanese food. I think it’s fascinating to find out how the food and ingredients are introduced to the new country. Even though I do cringe when I see how people eat “sushi” around the world.
I like to equate this to how American pizza is nothing like true Italian pizza.
Going to be completely honest when I told my husband about this dish his Italian soul screamed in anguish. His bisnonno would have yell at him if he used ketchup as part of the sauce. But for me honestly it’s fascinating to learn about the origins of cuisine such as this though I do prefer a tomato puree sauce or a nice vodka sauce for a dish like this.
Thank you for sharing your (and your husband)’s view! Some food is more traditional and important than others (pizza, pasta, etc), and it can be pretty sad to see how things change up in other countries. I hardly eat Japanese food in restaurants because I only see something wrong and can’t enjoy the meal much. 🙂
I am actually doing a panel on Japanese food specifically yoshoku and your blog has been a huge source of inspiration and information. Thank you so much for starting this blog.
That is so cool! I’m glad my blog has been helpful. Best wishes!
I have actually had this spaghetti about 40 years ago. As a kid my friends grandfather made this for my family. It was the BEST version of spaghetti we have ever had! He made it with large slices of onions, beacon, green pepper ( I picked those out), lean ground beef and ketchup. It was so simple, but fantastic flavors. Thanks for sharing!! I never knew it had a special name. 🙂
Hi Tammy! Yeah, we call it Naporitan (in Japanese romanji spelling). It’s a nostalgic food for most of us as we eat it when we are young. Hope you enjoy re-creating this recipe! 🙂
This sounds very much like the spaghetti I have bought from the ready-made section at the Mitsuwa Marketplace we frequent. Only they use hot dogs. One dish my mom made when I was growing up was spaghetti (with a can of tomato soup for the sauce) and hot dogs. I’ve been craving that – and the Japanese spaghetti I get up at Mitsuwa. I’ll have to make this recipe!
Hi Linda! Thanks for sharing your story with us! Love reading/hearing about food memory and story like this! Hope you enjoy this recipe, Linda!
Love napolitan and this easy recipe! Thanks for sharing I’ll try it tonight! One question I always encounter with all Japanese recipe that uses Worcestershire sauce. Everytime I follow to add Worcestershire sauce it always turns out too tangy even when I add a little. Is there a difference between the Worcestershire sauce sold in North America vs Japan? Thank you.
Hi Ritsuko! I’m sorry for my late response. You probably made it already. 🙁 Japanese Worcestershire sauce are slightly sweeter, so I usually recommend adding a bit of sugar if you use western one (especially if the amount is a lot). If it’s a little bit, I won’t worry too much – it’s just the hint of the taste, not the main taste.
When I was a kid my Japanese mother would make spaghetti with ketchup and I thought that she just don’t know that spaghetti needed to be topped by the sauce out of a jar. Little did I know that it was a Japanese style of cooking. I love thia recipe as it is super easy and tasty and it reminds me of my childhood.
Hi Kathy! Awww! Thanks for sharing your story! She probably feels very nostalgic about the taste. I do want to make these once in a while. It’s something we ate a lot growing up as it was a part of kids’ meal (Okosama Lunch) t restaurants often. 🙂
Whipped this up quite quickly for dinner. The mushrooms, onions, capsicum, and sausage work really well together with the tomato sauce. I added a bit extra Worcestershire sauce – I’m very bad at pronouncing it, but I love Worcestershire sauce! Very simple to make.
As always, thanks Nami!
御馳走様でした！
Hi Julia! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Me too, I can’t pronounce. The Japanese way of pronouncing this name is much easier though – ウスターソース. 😀
Delicious. Will definitely cook it again!
Hi Alice! Thank you for your kind feedback. So happy to hear you liked this recipe!
While I’m not a fan of Napolitan, I have eaten my fair share of it while living in Tokyo, it’s not bad. I however do know a lot of people that look down on it for it’s rather plebeian nature. But when you get down to it, it’s tomatoes, spices and sugar. Three things that have a place in pasta sauce.
Hi Rick! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I like your thinking! 🙂