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Jollof spaghetti
Jollof spaghetti: spaghetti cooked in a smoky pepper and tomato base until it drinks up the sauce
In student hostels in Nsukka and Ife and in busy family kitchens across Nigeria, jollof spaghetti is what happens when there is no time for rice: broken spaghetti simmered straight in a fried tomato and pepper base with thyme and curry, so every strand turns orange and soaks up the flavour. It is a weekday lunch, a school-holiday favourite and a Saturday breakfast. This version is vegan and only mildly hot for children; add more scotch bonnet for adults. The usual slip is boiling and draining the pasta first, which leaves it bland with sauce sliding off; cook it in the sauce itself. Chef's tip: let the pan sit on the heat for the last two minutes without stirring so a thin smoky layer catches at the bottom, the party-jollof taste.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz spaghettisnapped in half
- 1 red bell pepperseeded
- ½ scotch bonnetmore for adults
- 1 onionhalf for blending, half sliced
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp Nigerian curry powder
- 1 vegetable stock cubevegan
- ½ tsp saltto taste
- 5 ½ oz mixed peas and diced carrotfrozen is fine
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blend 3 plum tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, ½ scotch bonnet and half of ½ onion until smooth.
3 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide, deep pan over a medium heat and fry the sliced ½ onion for 3 minutes. Add 2 tbsp tomato purée and fry for 1 minute until it darkens.
4 minStep 3: Pour in the purée with 1 tsp dried thyme and 1 tsp Nigerian curry powder and fry for 8 minutes, stirring, until reduced and the oil starts to separate.
8 minStep 4: Add 700 ml water, 1 vegetable stock cube and ½ tsp salt and bring to the boil.
2 minStep 5: Add 14 oz spaghetti and push it under the liquid as it softens. Simmer, stirring every couple of minutes so it doesn't stick, for 10–12 minutes, until the pasta is tender and almost all the sauce is absorbed. Add a splash of hot water if it dries out first.
12 minStep 6: Stir in 5 ½ oz mixed peas and diced carrot and cook for 3 minutes, then leave the pan on a low heat for 2 minutes without stirring. Serve hot.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jollof spaghetti take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of spaghetti?
- Linguine or any long pasta, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plum tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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