• ABOUT US
  • ADVERTISE
  • PRESS & BUZZ
  • BLOG LOVE
  • PORTFOLIO
  • CONTACT US

Dominican Cooking

Dominican recipes, food and culinary culture

  • Recipes
    • Party Foods
    • Soups & Stews
    • Salads
    • Rice, Grains & Pasta
    • Beans & Legumes
    • Bread & Tubers
    • Meat & Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Casseroles (Pastelones)
    • Desserts & Drinks
    • Eggs & Cheese
    • Seasonings & Condiments
    • Traditional Dominican
    • – Cooking Basics
    • More Recipes …
  • Home
    • Craft & Make
    • Decor
    • Home Improvement
    • Sewing
    • Home Organization
  • Life
    • Photography Tips
    • People & Places
    • Culture
    • Earth Love
    • Child Rearing
    • Health & Wellness
    • Frugal Life Tips
    • Clara’s Musings
  • Videos
  • En Español

Espaguetis (Spaghetti a la Dominicana)

September 4, 2004

Espaguetis (Spaghetti a la Dominicana) will help you surprise friends and family with this unusual but flavorful spaghetti dish and our easy-to-follow recipe. Be prepared for encores.

Espaguetis Recipe (Dominican Style): Surprise friends and family with this unusual but flavorful spaghetti dish. Be prepared for encores.

I was caught off-guard the first time I was served a plate of Dominican Espaguetis (Spaghetti a la Dominicana), having always been accustomed to my pasta al dente, a la italiana. Well. This spaghetti was positively bathed in an orange gleam of oil, with shards of green peppers, chunks of salami, and, of all things, vinegar (!) thrown into the mix. But a bigger shock still was to see the spaghetti sharing a plate with a mound of rice. Where I’m from, spaghetti takes second stage to no other cereal, and carries a meal on the shoulders of its own multifarious merits.

As far as I was concerned, this was nothing less than blasphemy.

Espaguetis Recipe (Spaghetti a la Dominicana): Surprise friends and family with this unusual but flavorful spaghetti dish. Be prepared for encores.

I shunned los espaguetis for a long time, turning my nose up at the incognito noodles. Until one day, we loaded up the truck en route to a velorio (or wake) for one of my husband’s relatives in the campo. It took us longer to get there than expected, and when we did, we discovered that the food had run out. Starving, we were given the keys to an aunt’s house, where we proceeded to whip up something quick for our rather large group of children, elderly, and your basically famished adults. The nearest colmado, however, could only offer us one option for an economical and plentiful meal: espaguetis.

Hunger having weakened my resolve, and for fear of appearing the spoiled gringa in the campo, I had no choice but to cease and desist my anti-espaguetis campaign. With a tinge of picante, procured in the form of hot peppers straight from the auntie’s garden, and no rice to upstage the star of the show, I found myself enjoying spaghetti in a whole new way. I think I ate two plates.

Espaguetis Recipe (Spaghetti a la Dominicana): Surprise friends and family with this unusual but flavorful spaghetti dish. Be prepared for encores.

If a moral were to be attached to this story perhaps most apropos would be: never judge a spaghetti by its sauce. Or, ask yourselves, what’s in a spaghetti? A spaghetti by any other cooking method would still taste as sweet. Okay, well, not sweet, per se, but just as good. Different, but good. That’s it – ¡viva la diferencia!

Jill Wyatt

Jill, a member of our original team (where we knew her as Aunt Jane), and contributor to our book, is Canadian, mom to two Canadian-Dominican boys and resided in the Dominican Republic for several years.

5 from 12 votes
Espaguetis (Spaghetti a la Dominicana)
Print
Espaguetis Recipe (Spaghetti a la Dominicana)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Espaguetis Recipe (Spaghetti a la Dominicana): Surprise friends and family with this unusual but flavorful spaghetti dish. Be prepared for encores.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Dominican
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 725 kcal
Author: Clara Gonzalez
Ingredients
  • 1 lb spaghetti [0.43 kg]
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 lb Dominican "salami" [0.43 kg] diced into small cubes (optional)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion , large diced
  • 1 bell pepper cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 cup pitted green olives
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 tbsp capers (optional)
  • 4 plum tomatoes cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/4 tbsp vinegar (optional)
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
  • 1/4 cup ground Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
  1. Boil the spaghetti until slightly softer than al dente having added 1 teaspoon of salt to the water (set aside remaining salt). Drain the water and set spaghetti aside.

  2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.

  3. Cook and stir the salami until it browns. Lower heat to medium-low. Add onions, pepper, olives, garlic and capers and cook and stir for a minute, or until onions become translucent. Add tomatoes and oregano, simmer covered until the tomatoes are cooked through (3-5 mins).

  4. Add tomato sauce and vinegar (do not add vinegar if you'll use milk). Stir to mix. Add milk and the spaghetti and mix well. Stir until the milk is mixed through, but do not let it boil or the milk will curdle.

  5. Season with pepper and salt to taste.

  6. Serve hot with tostones or green salad. Garnish with the cheese.

Notes & Nutrition Facts

No Dominican "salami"? You can try it with our homemade salami recipe, or use supermarket roasted chicken for an easy Espagueti con Pollo Dominicano. Or use ham or sliced pork sausage if you feel adventurous.

 

Do not add vinegar if you are using milk. Both ingredients are optional, as there are no two homes where this dish is made the same. Both versions have their fans, I love both.

 

 

Nutrition Facts
Espaguetis Recipe (Spaghetti a la Dominicana)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 725 Calories from Fat 315
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 54%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 3136mg 131%
Potassium 955mg 27%
Total Carbohydrates 69g 23%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Sugars 10g
Protein 31g 62%
Vitamin A 28.5%
Vitamin C 47%
Calcium 15.4%
Iron 17.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Share
Pin
WhatsApp
Tweet
Yum
Flip
13K Shares

More From Our Blog

46
Leave a Reply

avatar

35 Comment threads
11 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
35 Comment authors
Aunt ClaraNicoleAnaCBSKaren A. Recent comment authors
avatar

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

newest oldest most voted
CBS
Guest
CBS

I’m sorry you don’t find the difference LC. I was raised in the States and our typical spaghetti dish has a very thick sauce which this does not. In addition, we don’t typically use capers or green olives in our sauces here in the States. This recipe is very simple but has so much flavor from the salami and the green olives. It’s a lighter dish when compared to the heavy Italian sauces. I’ve been to Doninican several times and this dish is on point with flavor.

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Karen A.
Guest
Karen A.

I’m used to the Dominican sofrito, tomato paste, oil and of course spaghetti version. Def has that Dominican gusto.

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Ana
Guest
Ana

Amazing recipe for Espagetis Dominicana (especially with the milk) my family loved it and my husband said it reminded him of back home. Thank you soo much Tia Clara!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
lupe
Guest
lupe

Great speghetti..my husband is dominican and I’m Puerto Rican and I’ll tell you very easy to make and everyone loves it!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Isabel
Guest
Isabel

OMG!!finally the spaghetti came out just like I always wanted to make them. This is a very easy to follow recipe. Thank you aunt Clara as I could never for the life of me get the results I wanted.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
"Simple, by Clara" is a collection of traditional Dominican and Dominican-inspired recipes, home ideas, crafts, and the chronicles of the Aunties' adventures.
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 486kLikes
  • 21.1kFollowers
  • 8.8kFollowers
  • 2.9kFollowers
  • 4.3kSubscribers
  • 523.1kFans Love Us

Latest Videos


Creamy, Cheesy Spinach with Smoked Pork Chops
Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Rolls
Stuffed Cubanelle Pepper Boats with Avocado Sauce
What Time is Lunch?
Turkey Lasagna Rolls with Creamy Milk Sauce
Dulce de Cajuil (Cashew Apple Jam)
Amazon Store

 

NEWSLETTER

Receive news and updates in your inbox. No spam, ever!

©Lunch Club Books, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce without permission. Links to commercial sites may contain affiliates. Please read our Policies and Privacy.



Most Popular

Bollitos de Yuca Recipe (Cheese-Filled Cassava Balls): Learn how to make these, they're crispy outside, soft and cheesy inside. A sure hit with your guests.
Kipe or Quipe Recipe (Deep Fried Bulgur Roll): it owes its origins to the Middle East immigrants who moved to the south of the island in the 19th century.
Yaniqueques Recipe (Fried Crispy Johnny Cake Tortillas): These are delicious, cruchy, flaky, deep-fried fast food wonders, a must on a visit to Boca Chica.

Best This Season

Morir soñando (Milk and orange juice)
Jugo de avena (Oatmeal and milk drink)
Paletas de Coco (Coconut Popsicles)
Strawberry and Yogurt Popsicles and Ice Cream Recipe: Cooling, healthy and a sure hit with grownups and children, these delicious strawberry and yogurt popsicles beat anything you would get from a store.
Paleta de Batata y Coco (Sweet Potato and Coconut Popsicles): Easy to make, refreshing and nutritious. This is the perfect summer treat.
Pera-piña (Pineapple and rice juice)
As Seen On
wpDiscuz