This Haitian Spaghetti is a flavorful pasta dish made with tomato sauce, diced veggies and chopped hot dogs. It is a common dish served for breakfast in Haiti when eaten alongside hard boiled eggs.
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Haitian spaghetti, or espageti, comes from Haiti, and is a combination of diced tomatoes, green pepper, onion, tomato paste, hot dogs, and, of course, Haitian Epis. It creates an explosion of flavor that may take you by surprise! It’s a simple dish full of savory goodness and childhood memories for many Haitians.
Haitian Spaghetti is a low-cost family meal that is rarely offered in restaurants but it has become a staple in many Haitian and south Florida homes. It can sometimes be found for sale by street vendors in urban areas like the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
Spaghetti for Breakfast
What may surprise many Americans is Haitians rarely eat Haitian Spaghetti for dinner; It’s most often considered a breakfast food.
Haitian Spaghetti is often served with sliced avocado, hard boiled eggs or a slice of bread to help keep the belly full. It’s a hearty, one-pot dish that will leave you feeling satisfied.
Ingredients for Haitian Spaghetii
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Meat: Meat cooked in tomato sauce is a staple of many Haitian dishes. This pasta recipe calls for hotdogs but you can use just about any type of sausage. Many Haitian families will also substitute seafood in a pinch.
- Tomato Paste
- Spaghetti Noodles
- Veggies: Fresh peppers, onions and tomatoes add so much flavor to this dish and give it
- Maggi Cubes: Maggi cubes are a flavor enhancer similar to bouillon, and they add saltiness and flavor to this recipe. If you don’t have Maggi cubes there are plenty of substitutes out there. You can use any other bouillon cubes or a mixture of equal parts worcestershire and soy sauce. Keep an eye on the size of your maggi cubes. If you have large maggi cubes, you will only need one.
- Haitian Epis: Epis is a blend of vegetables and herbs at the center of many Haitian recipes. It’s not difficult to make but you cannot make this recipe without it if you want the right flavor! Follow my recipe to blend some up fresh epis. Once made, it can be stored for 7-10 days in the refrigerator.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Boil the pasta and set aside. Then add olive oil and epis to a large sauce pan.
Step 2: Saute diced onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.
Step 3: Add tomato paste, maggi cubes, hot dogs, cloves, and reserved pasta water. Let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Add the cooked spaghetti and stir until the sauce coats the noodles. Serve with hard boiled eggs and ketchup on top.
Expert Tips
- If you are not a fan of hot dogs, feel free to use sausage or different types of meats. This recipe is great with beef kielbasa or a simple smoked sausage. For a vegetarian option, you can leave the meat out altogether.
- Some recipes call for frying the sausage BEFORE adding the epis, but most add the epis first. This may depend on the type of sausage you’re using, but I like the way this came together, allowing the meat to take in some of the epis flavor.
- If your sauce comes out a bit too thick, you can add a few more tablespoons of water leftover from the spaghetti noodles.
Recipe FAQs
Haitian Spaghetti originated during the early 1900s, when Americans occupied the island and brought with them popular Italian dishes, spaghetti and macaroni. Americans also introduced Haitians to processed foods like hotdogs and ketchup–both of which are common in this dish (the dish is often topped with ketchup).
You can easily omit the meat all together and make this a vegan dish. Be sure your Epis does not contain meat products. It is often made with chicken bouillon but vegetarian bouillon could be substituted.
This recipe preserves very really well and is delicious as leftovers! Simply microwave for a few minutes and enjoy! You can also freeze your pasta for up to 3 minutes.
Epis is a Haitian seasoning blend made by combining scallions, fresh thyme, bell peppers, garlic, bouillon cube, cloves, and more.
Did you enjoy this recipe for Haitian Spaghetti? If so, make sure to check out these recipes I picked out just for you:
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Haitian Spaghetti
Equipment
- Pot(s)
- Stovetop
- Ladle
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ lb Spaghetti
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Haitian Epis
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 3 small Maggi cubes
- 4 Hot Dogs, cut into rounds
- ⅛ tsp ground Cloves
- ⅓ cup water
- Salt, to taste
- 2 Hard boiled eggs
Instructions
- Cook ½ lb pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Reserve a few ladles of the pasta water to add to the recipe later.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil and 2 tbsp epis to a large saucepan. Fry the epis until it becomes fragrant and turns a golden color.
- Add the diced onions, 2 chopped bell peppers, and 2 tomatoes, and saute for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.
- Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and add 3 maggi cubes. Then add the 4 cut up hot dogs and ⅛ tsp ground cloves. Mix to combine.
- Add ⅓ cup of reserved pasta water and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes until a sauce is formed. Salt to taste.
- Add the cooked pasta and mix to coat. Serve with ½ of a boiled egg in each serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Meat: Meat cooked in tomato sauce is a staple of many Haitian dishes. This pasta recipe calls for hotdogs but you can use just about any type of sausage. Many Haitian families will also substitute sea food in a pinch.
- Tomato Paste: The robust tomato paste is what brings all the flavors together.
- Spaghetti Noodles: Spaghetti noodles are fairly easy to come by which makes this recipe particularly easy to throw together.
- Veggies: Fresh peppers, onions and tomatoes add so much flavor to this dish and give it
- Maggi Cubes: Maggi cubes are a flavor enhancer similar to bouillon, and they add saltiness and flavor to this recipe. If you don’t have Maggi cubes there are plenty of substitutes out there. You can use any other bouillon cubes or a mixture of equal parts worcestershire and soy sauce. Keep an eye on the size of your maggi cubes. If you have large maggi cubes, you will only need one.
- Haitian Epis: Epis is a blend of vegetables and herbs at the center of many Haitian recipes. It’s not difficult to make but you cannot make this recipe without it. Follow my recipe to blend some up fresh epis. Once made, it can be stored for 7-10 days in the refrigerator.
- If you are not a fan of hot dogs, feel free to use sausage or different types of meats. This recipe is great with beef kielbasa or a simple smoked sausage. For a vegetarian option, you can leave the meat out altogether.
- Some recipes call for frying the sausage BEFORE adding the epis, but most add the epis first. This may depend on the type of sausage you’re using, but I like the way this came together, allowing the meat to take in some of the epis flavor.
- If your sauce comes out a bit too thick, you can add a few more tablespoons of water leftover from the spaghetti noodles.
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