Need a family meal ready in under 20 minutes? Try this quick and easy Japanese Ketchup Spaghetti, known as Napolitan. Home cooks all across Japan prepare this simple recipe that elevates pantry staples with fresh ingredients like sausages, mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper. It’s a savory and satisfying dish!
Ketchup in spaghetti?! You hear it right. The idea of spaghetti with ketchup sauce may make any Italian cringe. However, Japanese Ketchup Spaghetti, or what we call Spaghetti Napolitan (スパゲッティーナポリタン), has been a popular menu at cafe restaurants (Kissaten) since the 1950s. This comforting pasta dish always brings a nostalgic memory to many Japanese who grew up eating it.
Table of Contents
What is Napolitan?
Napolitan is tomato ketchup-based, Japanese-style pasta that consists of spaghetti noodles, onions, green bell peppers, button mushrooms, and Japanese sausages. There are a few variations where we replace the sausages with bacon or ham. However, in general, it all has a standard sunny look of appetizing orange.
Phonetically, the Japanese language doesn’t distinguish R and L as separate sounds. For that reason, it uses the same katakana characters to represent R and L sounds of Western alphabets. So we write it as either Napolitan or Naporitan. While the spelling “Naporitan” is derived from romanji (the romanization of Japanese), the spelling “Napolitan” takes the origin of the name (Napoli) into account.
The Origin of Napolitan
There are a few theories of how Napolitan originated. The strongest theory is that it originated in Yokohama during the postwar era.
Around the 1950s, the head chef at the New Grand Hotel in Yokohama created this recipe after being inspired by the spaghetti and tomato sauce dish served to the American military. Since tomato sauce was a rare ingredient at that time, he used ketchup as a substitute for pasta sauce. He then named it “Spaghetti Napolitan”, or Napoli, after Naples, Italy.
Around the same time, Japan started to open itself to the world and began to consider fashionable new ideas from the West. These newly Westernized dishes like Spaghetti Meat Sauce and Spaghetti Napolitan received excellent responses. Eventually, they became mainstays in the cafes and Japanese home kitchens. To this day, the two dishes are still two of the most popular pasta dishes among Yoshoku (Western-influenced food, 洋食) in Japan.
Ketchup as The Key Flavoring
Not surprisingly, Japanese cuisine has used ketchup in seasoning various dishes, as this all-star American condiment lends a depth of flavor with its sweet-tangy profile.
Therefore, you can find ketchup 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 it comes to adapting other cultural influences in improving our own cuisine.
Why You’ll Love This Pasta
The genius about Spaghetti Napolitan is that it utilizes most of the pantry staples in 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! For example, you can try bacon in place of sausage. Likewise, use peas in place of bell peppers. Top it with a fried egg if you’d like. But simplicity is good for this recipe. When you don’t have any of the ingredients in the recipe, you can throw in whatever happens to be in season or on-hand in your kitchen.
To make it vegetarian-friendly, leave out the meat and add more mushrooms. Mix it up with a different type of mushroom for texture and flavor.
This dish is really easy to make and the flavor is kids-friendly. It makes an ideal meal for a quick dinner if you have a family with young children. I remember my son used to request this Ketchup Spaghetti when I asked what kind of pasta he would like for lunch.
Cooking Tips
- Timing is key for a smooth workflow. Get your prep work done while you boil the water to cook the spaghetti. You should have the cooked ingredients and sauce ready by the time the spaghetti is done cooking. Then toss everything together and serve!
- The taste of ketchup slightly varies depending on the brand. I usually use this organic ketchup (No GMO ingredients, no high-fructose corn syrup) but a similar one would work great. Napolitan does have a slightly sweet taste to it, but feel free to omit the sugar as listed in the recipe. For the authentic flavor, get a bottle of Kagome Tomato Ketchup from the Japanese grocery store. It is the classic Japanese ketchup to make Omurice and Napolitan.
- Always reserve the pasta cooking water. Set aside ¼ cup (or more depending on the serving portion) of the pasta cooking water. The starch in this salty pasta water acts as a binder and creates an emulsion when you add it to a sauce that contains fat like butter or oil.
- Don’t overcook the spaghetti as you will continue to cook a bit more in the frying pan.
- Consider textures. In my opinion, this pasta dish tastes best with various textures. For veggies such as bell peppers or fresh peas or sugar snap pea, I’d keep them on the crunchy side. However, my kids do not like raw or undercooked bell peppers so they always ask them to be as thin and wilted as possible. I personally like to cook the onion a bit more (no need to caramelize) to get the sweet flavor out of it.
- Just a tablespoon of butter at the end adds umami and creaminess to the dish. So don’t skip it!
It cannot be easier to put this Spaghetti Napolitan together! For a fancy yet effortless weeknight dinner, serve it with a green salad and wine. Enjoy!
Other Japanese-Style Pasta Recipes
- Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage
- Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Pasta
- Ume Shiso Pasta
- Japanese-style Pasta with Shrimp and Broccolini
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Napolitan (Japanese Ketchup Spaghetti)
Video
Ingredients
For the Sauce Seasonings
- ⅓ cup ketchup (for an authentic flavor, use Kagome Tomato Ketchup from the Japanese grocery store)
- ½ Tbsp milk (optional; for a creamier taste)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp sugar (optional; for an authentic Japanese taste)
For the Sauce Ingredients
- ½ onion (3.5 oz, 100 g)
- ¼–½ green bell pepper (2.5 oz, 70 g)
- 4 mushrooms (2.5 oz, 70 g)
- 5 oz sausages (I use 4–6 kurobuta or arabiki sausages from the Japanese market; you can substitute another type of sausage, ham, bacon, etc.)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Pasta
- 7 oz spaghetti
- 1½ Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water (you may not need it; check your sauce and add gradually)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
For Serving
- 2 Tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Start boiling a large pot of water (I use a 4 QT pot).
To Prepare the Ingredients
- In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup ketchup, ½ Tbsp milk, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp sugar. Mix them together and set aside.
- Cut ½ onion into thin slices.
- Cut ¼–½ green bell pepper in half crosswise (if it‘s long), and then cut into thin strips.
- Cut 4 mushrooms into thin slices.
- Cut 5 oz sausages diagonally into thin slices.
To Boil the Spaghetti
- Once the water is boiling, add 1½ Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 7 oz spaghetti. Stir to make sure the noodles don‘t stick to each other. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Toward the end of cooking, reserve some pasta cooking water.While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.
To Cook the Sauce
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and distribute it evenly. Crush and add 1 clove garlic (I use this garlic press) and sauté for 1 minute, just until golden and fragrant.
- Add the onions to the pan and sauté for 2–3 minutes.
- When the onions are wilted, add the sausages and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and sauté until everything is cooked.
- Season with ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
- Push the ingredients to one side and add the sauce mixture to the empty side of the pan. When the sauce starts to bubble and thicken, mix it together with the sausages and vegetables.
- Now, scoop out some of the starchy cooking water from the pasta pot, about ¼ cup reserved pasta water. Remember, you may not need the reserved pasta cooking water that you saved. Add it to the pasta sauce only if it needs to loosen up. At times, I do not use it at all or use 1–2 Tbsp. Check the consistency of the sauce, and gradually add reserved pasta water, stirring well, until the sauce is the consistency you like.
- Mix it all together and let the sauce simmer and reduce a bit.
- By now, the spaghetti should be done cooking. Drain it well in a colander and add it to the pan with the sauce. Add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and toss to combine using tongs, making sure the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
To Serve
- Serve the Napolitan immediately on individual plates. Shave 2 Tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese over the pasta now or at the table.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Apr 19, 2013. The post has been republished with updated content, new images, and a slightly-revised recipe on July 25, 2022.
Tried your recipe and this was wonderful!
Hi Skhylar! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy you enjoyed it!
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!
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. 🙂
Hey do I have to use the milk at the end of the recipe?
Hi Jeinny! You can skip. 🙂
Just made this for lunch. Nana loves the smell!
Hi Rose! I’m happy to hear that! Thank you!!
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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…. 🙂
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
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. 🙂
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! 🙂
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! 🙂
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. 🙂
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! 🙂