You’re probably thinking, “Did I just read that right? Chinese Spaghetti Bolognese?!!”
Yep, that’s right–Chinese Spaghetti Bolognese. The name popped into my head as I was making this dish for the family. It’s ground beef in a silky Chinese-style brown sauce with plenty of delicious Asian flavors. Cooked until fragrant, mixed with green peas, and tossed with your favorite pasta, it’s similar to a traditional beef “Yook Soong,” but instead of serving it over rice, it’s tossed with spaghetti! (Of course, I’m definitely using the term “bolognese” here very loosely. Wouldn’t want to offend any of our Italian readers!)
This recipe is so satisfying and easy to make, it will wow your family (especially the kids). Plus, this comes together much more quickly than a traditional Italian Spaghetti Bolognese. It’s definitely an original one-of-a-kind dish, so don’t worry about the strange looks you first get when you approach the table with a plateful of spaghetti, noticeably absent of tomato sauce. Once your family digs in, you’ll know what I mean. Give this original dish from our family recipe archives a try!
(QUICK SIDE NOTE: Hey everyone, this is Sarah. I’m interrupting my dad’s post here to say that this “Chinese Spaghetti Bolognese” idea is one of my favorite recipes to come out of the blog in a long time. Suffice it to say, I demolished an embarrassingly large bowl of this spaghetti. Props to dad on this one.)
Recipe Instructions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions, undercooking it by about a minute (it will finish cooking in the sauce). While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce.
Heat a wok over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef and cook until slightly browned, breaking up any large chunks of beef.
Add the onion, garlic, and Shaoxing wine, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the onion is transparent, and then add the chicken stock.
Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, add the peas, and stir for one minute.
Stir up the cornstarch slurry (since the starch will separate from the water when left to sit), and drizzle the slurry into the sauce while stirring constantly. The sauce should thicken until it coats a spoon.
Drain the pasta, and add it directly to the wok. Toss until the pasta is coated in sauce. Feel free to add some of the pasta cooking liquid if the sauce is too thick, and add more cornstarch slurry if the sauce is too thin.
Serve your Chinese spaghetti bolognese hot!
If you like pasta dishes, Asian or otherwise, you must try some of Sarah’s other favorites like Roasted Pasta Ratatouille , Thai Basil Pesto Pasta with Spicy Shrimp, or Soy Sauce Butter Pasta with Shrimp and Shiitakes. Take your pick and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!
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Recipe
Chinese Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dried spaghetti (225g)
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 12 oz. ground beef (340g)
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
- 2 cups chicken stock (475 ml)
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions, undercooking it by about a minute (it will finish cooking in the sauce). While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce.
- Heat a wok over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef and cook until slightly browned, breaking up any large chunks of beef. Add the onion, garlic, and Shaoxing wine, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the onion is transparent, and then add the chicken stock.
- Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the oyster and soy sauces, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, add the peas, and stir for one minute.
- Stir up the cornstarch slurry (since the starch will separate from the water when left to sit), and drizzle the slurry into the sauce while stirring constantly. The sauce should thicken until it coats a spoon.
- Drain the pasta, and add it directly to the wok. Toss until the pasta is coated in sauce. Feel free to add some of the pasta cooking liquid if the sauce is too thick, and add more cornstarch slurry if the sauce is too thin. Serve!
Nutrition Facts
