Okay, so I’ve been craving some Dominican spaghetti lately, that creamy, kinda tangy, kinda sweet pasta dish. I decided to finally try making it myself. I looked up a bunch of recipes, but honestly, they were all a little different. So I just kinda winged it, picking and choosing what sounded good to me. Here’s how it went down:
Getting Started
First, I gathered all my ingredients. I wanted to make sure I had everything before I got started, ’cause who wants to run to the store mid-cooking?
The Ingredients List
- Spaghetti: Obviously. I used a regular-sized box, about a pound.
- Oil: Some recipes used vegetable oil, others olive oil. I went with olive oil because, why not?
- Salami: This is key! I got some Dominican salami, the kind that’s already cooked. It’s got this smoky flavor that’s just chef’s kiss.
- Onion: Just a regular yellow onion, chopped up.
- Bell pepper: I used a green one, but red or yellow would probably work too.
- Garlic: Because everything’s better with garlic. I used like, four cloves, minced.
- Tomato sauce: A small can, nothing fancy.
- Tomato paste: Just a little bit, to thicken things up.
- Chicken bouillon cube: This adds a nice savory flavor.
- Evaporated milk: This is what makes it creamy!
- Vinegar: Just a splash, for that little tang. I used white vinegar.
- Sugar: A pinch, to balance out the acidity.
- Cilantro:Chopped, as garnish.
- Olives: I love it.
- Capers:Also, It’s optional.
The Cooking Process
I started by cooking the spaghetti according to the box directions. While that was going, I heated up some olive oil in a big pan. Then, I chopped up the salami into little pieces and tossed it in the pan to brown it up a bit. It smelled SO good.
Next, I added the chopped onion and bell pepper and cooked them until they were soft. Then I threw in the minced garlic and cooked it for just a minute, until it was fragrant (don’t want to burn it!).
After that, I poured in the tomato sauce and added the tomato paste, the crumbled chicken bouillon cube, the vinegar, the sugar, olives and capers. I stirred everything together and let it simmer for a bit, maybe 10 minutes, just to let the flavors meld.
Once the spaghetti was cooked, I drained it and added it to the sauce. Then came the magic ingredient: the evaporated milk! I poured in about half a can and stirred it in, and the sauce turned this beautiful creamy, pinkish color.
The Final Touches
I let it all simmer together for a few more minutes, just to make sure the spaghetti was coated in the sauce. Finally, I served it up and sprinkled some chopped cilantro on top.
It was amazing! Seriously, better than I expected. It had that perfect balance of savory, creamy, tangy, and a little sweet. I’ll definitely be making this again. Next time, I think my family would love it!
