Today, we can enjoy various pasta dishes in Japan, not to mention spaghetti bolognese, spaghetti alle vongole, pomodoro, carbonara….you name it.
We also have spaghetti menus unique to Japan, such as spaghetti with spicy cod roe (mentaiko), spaghetti with fermented soy bean (natto), Japanese mushroom spaghetti, curry flavored one, and spaghetti Napolitana🍝
The spaghetti Napolitana is different from the so-called “Spaghetti alla Napoletana”.
It was invented by a Japanese chef after the World War II.
Typically it consists of spaghetti, tomato ketchup or a tomato-based sauce, onion, mushrooms, green peppers, sausage or bacon. It tastes a little sweet because of the ketchup, and some people add tabasco sauce and some add Worcester sauce.
Almost all the Japanese have had the spaghetti Napolitana when they were young and, I think it is not too much to say, all the Japanese love this dish.
Therefore, you can enjoy this dish anywhere in Japan, that is, not only in restaurants specializing pasta dishes but also any and every kinds of eating places. You will see it at convenience stores as a boxed lunch.
Or, sometimes a small amount of it is served with omelette or Hamburg stake.
Interestingly, many Japanese are surprised to find we cannot eat this dish in Napoli😳
The spaghetti Napolitana is a representative Japanese dish that we are proud of.
