Not your average pasta recipe, this soul food spaghetti is made with smoked andouille sausage, onion, and bell pepper. This delicious dish pairs perfectly with fried catfish, collard greens, and cornbread.
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There are few recipes our family loves more than soul food-style (Black folks) spaghetti. To be honest, our kids are probably tired of it because we have it so much!
This recipe is based on Marrekus' mom's spaghetti recipe. It is also similar to the spaghetti I ate growing up that my mom and grandma often make.
It's fast, easy, and fills you up. On busy weeknights carpooling between cheer and football practice, this soul food spaghetti recipe is our go-to. A satisfying meal at the end of a long night.
What is Soul Food Spaghetti?
Soul food spaghetti, also lovingly known as black people spaghetti, is a variation of Italian-style spaghetti. It incorporates flavors and cooking techniques commonly associated with Black food culture (rich, savory, and sometimes spicy flavors). While it shares some similarities with traditional Italian spaghetti, the differences are in the sauce and seasonings.
Ingredients
- Neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or peanut oil)
- Spicy smoked sausage (andouille, beef, etc.)
- White onion (or you can use two small yellow onions)
- Green bell pepper
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Butter (unsalted)
- Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Ground beef 80/20
- Spaghetti seasoning packets (McCormick, Lawry's, etc.)
- Tomato paste
- Tomato sauce
- Sugar (optional)
- Spaghetti pasta
- Optional: Crushed red pepper, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, etc.
How to Make Soul Food Spaghetti Recipe
Step 1: Brown sausage and sauté vegetables: Heat oil in a large skillet. Then, sear the sliced smoked sausage in the skillet until browned; remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
Next, melt butter in the same skillet. Sauté onion and bell pepper in melted butter and sausage drippings until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 1 minute more.
Step 2: Add ground beef and make the sauce: Mix in ground beef, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in spaghetti seasonings, tomato paste, pasta sauce, and water. Return the smoked sausage to the skillet, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Cook pasta and pull it all together: While the sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to package instructions. Add sugar to the meat sauce mixture, and stir to combine. Combine spaghetti and meat sauce, stirring to coat all the pasta evenly.
What to Serve with Soul Food Spaghetti
Marrekus loves to make fish and spaghetti, a combination I had not tried until we met. It also goes great with garlic bread, cornbread, and collard greens.
Pulled Pork BBQ Spaghetti
A variation of soul food spaghetti, Marrekus loves to make pulled pork spaghetti. It's basically a delicacy, most commonly found in the BBQ Capital of America: Memphis, Tennessee.
The process is simple. First, mix tomato sauce with your preferred barbecue sauce. Then, add seasonings, spices, and smoked meat. Marrekus uses his own smoked pork butt, but the recipe is adaptable. You can buy pre-cooked pulled pork or substitute with rotisserie chicken.
Commonly Asked Questions
People put sugar in spaghetti sauce because it is believed to cut the acidity of tomatoes. One cup of tomato sauce has about 10 grams of sugar in it, so adding more may seem redundant. However, it's an ingredient Marrekus says he will continue to put in his spaghetti recipe!
You can substitute spaghetti pasta for linguine, bucatini, or even fettuccine.
Spaghetti seasoning is made with onion, garlic, tomato, paprika, and other spices. It is intended to be used with water and tomato paste to make a sauce. However, this recipe uses store-bought spaghetti seasoning packets to add more robust flavor and spice for soul food-style spaghetti.
📖 Recipe
Soul Food Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
Spaghetti
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 ½ tablespoons neutral oil
- smoked sausage beef, andouille, etc., cut into half moons
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 white onion or 2 small yellow onions, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1 ½ packets of spaghetti seasoning
- 1 6- ounce can tomato paste
- 1 jar of pasta sauce
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Sear smoked sausage in skillet until browned; remove from skillet and set aside.
- Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté onion and bell pepper in melted butter and sausage drippings until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic, salt, pepper, and sauté for 1 minute more.
- Mix in ground beef, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in spaghetti seasonings, tomato paste, pasta sauce, and water.
- Return smoked sausage to the skillet; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add white sugar to the meat sauce mixture, and stir to combine.
- Combine spaghetti and meat sauce, stirring to coat all the pasta evenly.
- Serve spaghetti with garlic bread, cornbread, or fried catfish.
Notes
- Cook pasta al dente – Since the pasta will absorb some sauce, slightly undercook it so it doesn't turn mushy.
- Use a mix of meats – A blend of ground beef and ground pork (or even ground turkey) adds depth to the flavor.
- Let the sauce simmer longer – If you have time, let it cook for 20–30 minutes to develop a richer taste.
- Optional add-ins: Stir in crushed red pepper, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, red and yellow bell peppers, cayenne pepper, or a dash of hot sauce for extra flavor.
Marta says
I made this soul food spaghetti last night for dinner and the family raved about how amazing it was. The smoked beef sausage was really the highlight of the dish.