This is not your typical spaghetti. Soul food spaghetti blends smoked andouille-style sausage with sautéed onion and green bell pepper for a rich, savory dish that pairs beautifully with fried catfish, collard greens, or a warm slice of cornbread.
Our family turns to this soul food-style spaghetti again and again. It’s based on Marrekus’ mom’s recipe and echoes the comforting versions my mother and grandmother have made for years. It’s quick, filling, and perfect for busy weeknights when you need a satisfying meal after practices and errands.
What is Soul Food Spaghetti?
Soul food spaghetti—sometimes called “Black folks spaghetti”—is a take on classic Italian spaghetti that borrows flavors and techniques from Southern and Black cooking traditions. Expect bolder seasoning, smoked meats, and a sauce tuned to robust, savory, and occasionally spicy tastes. The foundation is familiar, but the character comes from the seasoning, smoked sausage, and those home-cooked touches.
Ingredients
- Neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or peanut)
- Smoked spicy sausage (andouille or beef sausage), sliced
- White onion (or two small yellow onions), diced
- Green bell pepper, diced
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Unsalted butter
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Ground beef (80/20)
- Spaghetti seasoning packets (McCormick, Lawry’s, or similar)
- Tomato paste
- Pasta sauce (jarred)
- Optional: sugar to balance acidity
- Spaghetti pasta
- Optional add-ins: crushed red pepper, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, cayenne, or hot sauce
How to Make Soul Food Spaghetti
Step 1 — Brown the sausage and cook the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced smoked sausage and sear until browned. Remove the sausage and set it aside. In the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté the diced onion and bell pepper in the butter and sausage drippings until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, a pinch of salt, and black pepper, and cook another minute.
Step 2 — Add the ground beef and build the sauce: Add the ground beef to the skillet, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Brown the beef, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spaghetti seasoning packets, tomato paste, jarred pasta sauce, and water. Return the smoked sausage to the pan, lower the heat, and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes so the flavors meld.
Step 3 — Cook the pasta and combine: While the sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti according to package directions (slightly undercook if you plan to combine and finish in the sauce). If desired, add a small amount of sugar to the sauce to balance acidity. Toss the drained pasta with the meat sauce, stirring to coat the strands evenly. Serve hot.
What to Serve with Soul Food Spaghetti
This spaghetti is delicious alongside fried catfish — a classic combination in some families — and it also pairs well with garlic bread, cornbread, or collard greens. For a barbecue twist, fold in pulled smoked pork and a bit of your favorite BBQ sauce to create a pulled pork BBQ spaghetti variation.
Pulled Pork BBQ Spaghetti Variation
For a Memphis-style twist, mix pasta sauce with barbecue sauce, add seasonings and shredded smoked pork, and simmer until well combined. Use leftover smoked pork butt, store-bought pulled pork, or even shredded rotisserie chicken for a fast, flavorful change of pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
A bit of sugar can help balance the acidity in tomato-based sauces. Even though tomato products contain natural sugars, a teaspoon or two can round out the flavor, depending on personal taste.
Linguine, bucatini, or fettuccine all work well if you prefer a different shape or thickness.
Spaghetti seasoning typically includes dried onion, garlic, paprika, and other herbs and spices meant to be mixed with tomato paste and water to form a sauce base. In this recipe, store-bought seasoning packets are used to boost flavor quickly.
📖 Recipe
Soul Food Spaghetti Recipe
Krysten Wilkes & Marrekus Wilkes
Ingredients
Spaghetti
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 ½ tablespoons neutral oil
- smoked sausage beef, andouille, or similar, sliced into half moons
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 white onion or 2 small yellow onions, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 1 ½ packets spaghetti seasoning
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Sear the smoked sausage until browned; remove and set aside.
- Melt butter in the same skillet.
- Sauté onion and bell pepper in the butter and sausage drippings until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic, salt, and pepper; cook 1 more minute.
- Add ground beef and break it up as it browns, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in spaghetti seasoning, tomato paste, pasta sauce, and water.
- Return the smoked sausage to the skillet, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the sugar if desired to balance acidity.
- Toss the spaghetti with the meat sauce until the pasta is evenly coated. Serve with garlic bread, cornbread, or fried catfish.
Notes
- Cook pasta al dente: Slightly undercook the pasta if you plan to finish it in the sauce so it won’t become mushy.
- Mix meats for depth: Combining ground beef with ground pork or turkey can add more complex flavor.
- Longer simmer for richer taste: If you have extra time, simmer the sauce 20–30 minutes for deeper flavor.
- Optional add-ins: Crushed red pepper, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, or a dash of hot sauce all work well to customize the dish.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 51g
Protein: 19g
Fat: 18g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!