What Is Jollof Spaghetti? The Nigerian Favourite Explained
Jollof spaghetti is spaghetti cooked jollof style in a spiced tomato pepper sauce. Here is what it is and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Jollof spaghetti is a much loved Nigerian one-pot dish that takes the flavours of jollof rice and applies them to spaghetti, cooking the pasta in a rich, spiced tomato and pepper sauce so it soaks up all the flavour. A blended base of tomatoes, red peppers, onions and scotch bonnet is cooked with palm or vegetable oil and seasonings, then the spaghetti is cooked right in the sauce, often with vegetables and proteins, until reddish-orange, savoury and delicious. Quick, tasty and comforting, jollof spaghetti is a family favourite. In the UK the ingredients are sold by African food shops and supermarkets.
What to remember
- Jollof spaghetti applies the flavours of jollof rice to spaghetti.
- The pasta is cooked in a rich, spiced tomato and pepper sauce so it soaks up flavour.
- The base is blended tomatoes, red peppers, onions and scotch bonnet with seasonings.
- It is often cooked with vegetables and proteins into a savoury one-pot.
- The ingredients are sold by African food shops and supermarkets in the UK.
For Nigerians in Britain, jollof spaghetti is a comforting taste of home. It is the quick, flavourful dinner from the family kitchen, the jollof flavour in pasta form, the reddish spaghetti with plantain that children and adults both love, the easy meal that still tastes of home. Cooking jollof spaghetti far from home brings back family dinners and the familiar, beloved taste of jollof, the warmth of home in every savoury, spiced forkful.
There is real comfort in it too, in a dish that takes the flavour everyone loves and makes it quick and everyday. It reflects the creativity and warmth of Nigerian home cooking, and to make jollof spaghetti is to keep a little of that alive. Cooking jollof spaghetti for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to their first plate of jollof-flavoured pasta, is a small act of welcome. That comforting, familiar taste of home is the quiet gift of jollof spaghetti.
What Jollof Spaghetti Actually Is
Jollof spaghetti is a brilliant Nigerian twist that brings together two much loved things: the iconic flavours of jollof rice and everyday spaghetti. Instead of cooking spaghetti plainly and adding a sauce, jollof spaghetti cooks the pasta in the jollof-style sauce itself, so it absorbs the rich, spiced tomato and pepper flavour just as jollof rice does, turning a reddish-orange colour and becoming savoury and full of flavour throughout. It is a one-pot dish, quick and satisfying, and a firm favourite in Nigerian homes.
The result is comforting, tasty and a little different from both plain spaghetti and jollof rice, offering the beloved jollof flavour in pasta form. It is popular as an everyday family meal, a quick dinner, and a fun dish for children and adults alike, and it can be dressed up with proteins and vegetables for something more substantial. Jollof spaghetti belongs to the world of Nigerian home cooking we cover in our guide to Nigerian food, a clever, flavourful cousin of the famous jollof rice.
How Jollof Spaghetti Is Made
Making jollof spaghetti follows the same idea as jollof rice. A rich base is made by blending tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions and scotch bonnet, then cooking this down in oil, palm or vegetable, with tomato paste, seasonings, curry, thyme and stock until it becomes a thick, well-seasoned sauce. Proteins such as chicken, beef, sausage or prawns, and vegetables like peppers, carrots or peas, are often added. Then the spaghetti is added, sometimes with a little water or stock, and cooked right in the sauce, so it absorbs the flavour and colour as it becomes tender.
The key, as with jollof rice, is letting the pasta cook in the sauce so every strand is flavoured, rather than saucing plain pasta afterwards. The result is a dry, savoury, reddish spaghetti full of jollof flavour. Recipes vary, with different proteins, vegetables and heat levels to taste, and where prawns are used those with a seafood allergy should take care. This is general food information rather than dietary advice. Quick and one-pot, jollof spaghetti is easy, tasty and satisfying.
How Jollof Spaghetti Is Enjoyed
Jollof spaghetti is above all a beloved everyday and family dish, quick enough for a weeknight yet full of the flavour people love, and it is especially popular with children, making it a go-to home meal. It is often served on its own as a complete one-pot, or with fried plantain, a piece of chicken or fish, coleslaw or a salad, and it appears at casual gatherings and parties too as a crowd-pleasing option. Its ease and its familiar jollof flavour are a big part of its appeal.
For anyone who loves jollof rice, jollof spaghetti is a delightful discovery, offering that same flavour in a quick, comforting pasta form, and for anyone exploring Nigerian food it is an easy, approachable dish to try at home. Comforting, savoury and full of jollof flavour, jollof spaghetti is a much loved part of everyday Nigerian cooking, simple to make and always satisfying.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making jollof spaghetti at home in Britain is easy, as the ingredients are widely available. Spaghetti, tomatoes, tomato paste, peppers and onions are in every supermarket, and African food shops sell the scotch bonnet, seasonings, curry, thyme, palm oil and stock cubes that give the dish its authentic Nigerian flavour, along with any proteins you like to use. African food shops in particular can help with the seasonings and peppers for a proper jollof taste.
If you want to make jollof spaghetti, an African food shop can point you to the peppers, seasonings and any proteins, plus plantain to serve alongside. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where these ingredients are familiar items. Cooked right in a rich, spiced tomato and pepper sauce, jollof spaghetti brings the beloved flavour of jollof to your table in a quick, comforting pasta dish.
Frequently asked questions
What is jollof spaghetti?
Jollof spaghetti is a much loved Nigerian one-pot dish that takes the flavours of jollof rice and applies them to spaghetti, cooking the pasta in a rich, spiced tomato and pepper sauce so it soaks up all the flavour. A blended base of tomatoes, red peppers, onions and scotch bonnet is cooked with oil and seasonings, then the spaghetti is cooked right in the sauce until reddish, savoury and delicious.
How is jollof spaghetti made?
Jollof spaghetti is made like jollof rice but with pasta. A base of blended tomatoes, red peppers, onions and scotch bonnet is cooked in oil with tomato paste, seasonings, curry, thyme and stock into a thick sauce, often with added proteins and vegetables. The spaghetti is then cooked right in the sauce, with a little water or stock, so it absorbs the flavour and colour as it becomes tender.
Is jollof spaghetti the same as jollof rice?
Jollof spaghetti uses the same jollof-style sauce and flavour as jollof rice but with spaghetti instead of rice. The idea, cooking the staple in a rich, spiced tomato and pepper sauce so it absorbs the flavour, is the same, but the result is a savoury, reddish pasta dish rather than rice. It is a popular, quick twist on the beloved jollof flavour.
What do you serve with jollof spaghetti?
Jollof spaghetti is often served on its own as a complete one-pot meal, or with fried plantain, a piece of chicken or fish, coleslaw or a salad. It is an everyday family favourite, especially popular with children, and also appears at casual gatherings. Its ease and familiar jollof flavour make it a versatile, crowd-pleasing dish.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
Spaghetti, tomatoes, tomato paste, peppers and onions are in every supermarket, and African food shops sell the scotch bonnet, seasonings, curry, thyme, palm oil and stock cubes that give jollof spaghetti its authentic flavour, plus any proteins. An African food shop can point you to the peppers and seasonings for a proper jollof taste, and plantain to serve alongside. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.