Jollof spaghetti
Spaghetti cooked right in a smoky, peppery West African tomato stew until it drinks up every bit of flavor, the Nigerian weeknight favorite.
- 60 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $1.87 a serving
- 520 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
- 1 serrano pepper, minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 oz
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2½ cups vegetable broth
- 12 oz spaghetti, broken in half
- 2 stalks green onions, sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
Each serving has about 520 calories, 16 g protein, 88 g carbs and 12 g fat, and costs about $1.87 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No crushed tomatoes? Diced tomatoes work.
- No spaghetti? Fettuccine works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onion and roasted peppers and the serrano.
Finely chop. Finely chopping means cutting food into small pieces, a little bigger than minced, about the size of a lentil. Small pieces spread their flavor through the dish and cook quickly.
How you’ll know: Nothing is bigger than a lentil, and the pile looks like confetti rather than paste.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Dolly’s tip: Seed the serrano for less heat. Keep the seeds if you like it fiery.Heat the oil in a large, deep or over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes, until soft.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is a heavy pot, usually enameled cast iron, with a tight-fitting lid. It holds heat evenly, so it’s great for soups, stews and anything that simmers a long time.
How you’ll know: Any large, heavy pot with a lid does the same job if you don’t have one.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Stir in the tomato paste and fry it 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens to a deep brick red.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Frying the paste is what gives jollof its deep, sweet flavor, so don’t rush it.Add the crushed tomatoes, roasted peppers, serrano, curry powder, thyme, smoked paprika and bay leaves and 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and the oil pools on top.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Pour in the broth and salt, turn the heat to high, and .
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Add the spaghetti and push it under the liquid. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is tender and the sauce is absorbed.
Low heatTimer: 13 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Stir with tongs and scrape the bottom. A little toasty crust is prized, but a burnt one isn’t.Fish out the bay leaves, taste for salt, and serve topped with green onions.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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