Easy Napolitan (Japanese Ketchup Spaghetti)

Steps

1. Gather all the ingredients. I use an electric pot for this recipe and others in the 10-Minute Meal series. You also could use a regular saucepan on the stove.

2. Cut ¼ onion into thin slices.

3. Cut ¼ green bell pepper into thin strips. If your bell pepper is long, cut it in half widthwise first before cutting it into strips.

4. Cut 2 mushrooms into thin slices. Cut 2 Japanese sausages diagonally about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.

5. Place all the ingredients on a tray or plate. Now, heat the pot on medium-high heat or Mode II (600W) on the electric pot. Add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

6. Add the sausages and onion and stir-fry until they are slightly tender and charred. Stir frequently since the pot heats up really fast.

7. Add 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. You can cover the pot with a lid so the water boils faster.

8. When boiling, add ¼ tsp salt. Break 4 oz spaghetti in half (so that it fits in the pot) and add to the boiling water.

9. Make sure the pasta is submerged completely. Cook, uncovered, for 11 minutes.* * For Napolitan, we typically cook the pasta according to the package instructions or slightly longer instead of al dente.

10. After 7 minutes have passed, add the bell peppers and mushrooms. We don't add them from the beginning so they don't get overcooked.

11. After 10 minutes (1 minute left on the timer), reduce the heat to medium or Mode I (250W). Using a ladle, remove as much of the pasta water as possible.

12. Add ½ Tbsp unsalted butter (optional) and combine well.

13. Add 3 Tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and freshly ground black pepper.

14. Combine well and add up to ¼ tsp salt, to taste.

15. Serve immediately and enjoy! This recipe is best consumed as soon as you prepare it, so I don’t recommend keeping leftovers.