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Somali Spaghetti Sauce

Somali Spaghetti Sauce

Name: Somali Spaghetti Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 59 min
Total time: 89 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 4 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash®); ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 pound lean ground beef; 1 onion, diced; 1 large potato, peeled and cubed; 2 carrots, diced; 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes; 2 tablespoons water, or to taste; 1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta

Rating: 4.8 stars

15 Ratings
12 Reviews
6 Photos

This is Somali-style spaghetti sauce with my own little twist. We make this once a week in our house (my daughter craves it!). I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

By MyHalwad

Gallery

Recipe Summary

prep:

25 mins

cook:

59 mins

additional:

5 mins

total:

1 hr 29 mins

Servings:

Yield:

6 servings

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1

Place cilantro and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped.

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Step 2

Toast cumin seeds in a small pot over low heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Allow to cool, 5 minutes. Grind into a powder.
Step 3

Transfer ground cumin to a small bowl. Add Himalayan pink salt, turmeric, paprika, Italian seasoning, seasoning blend, and black pepper to make seasoning mix.
Step 4

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ground beef; cook and stir until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 of the seasoning mix. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potato and carrots. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 5

Stir tomatoes into the pot and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cilantro-garlic mixture and remaining 1/2 of the seasoning mix. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors combine, 30 to 40 minutes. Thin sauce with water if it seems too thick.
Step 6

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain. Serve sauce over pasta.

Cook's Notes:

Substitute pasta sauce for the canned diced tomatoes, if desired. You can substitute another type of salt for the Himalayan pink salt.

Mince cilantro and garlic together with a knife instead of a food processor, if you like.

For added flavor, you can toss the cooked and drained pasta in the oil that collects on the top of the sauce. Top spaghetti with shredded cheese if you like.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

546 calories; protein 25.7g; carbohydrates 63.9g; fat 20.6g; cholesterol 49.6mg; sodium 818.2mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (12)

Most helpful positive review

Chef Boy R Drew

02/23/2017

Pretty good recipe I dont think Ill make it again. Not that it wasnt good just I prefer pasta without potatoes (too many carbs) and wasnt saucy enough for my liking. I think I will stick with traditional bolognese sauce. Thank you for the recipe though and I would recommend this for anyone who wants to try something different. Read More

Helpful

(2)

15 Ratings

5 star values: 12
4 star values: 3
3 star values: 0
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Chef Boy R Drew

02/23/2017

Helpful

(2)

Buckwheat Queen

Allstar

07/10/2016

Very interesting and very delicious. I made mine without the meat. Will definitely make again. Thank you for the recipe. Read More

Helpful

(1)

JaBro

02/02/2017

Yum! I put turmeric in anything I can but never thought of cilantro in spaghetti sauce. Very fresh tasting. My only substitution was to use soy crumbles instead of beef. Not only delicious but an anti-inflammatory bonanza! Thanks for the recipe. Read More

Helpful

(1)

Blondiegirl

04/11/2016

Though I didn't follow the recipe exactly I never thought of putting turmeric in spaghetti sauce. I had some fresh turmeric root to use so I grated one in. I've never put potato in before either but it was a great thickener. I added fresh Rosemary and Basil. It was Awesome! Ty for sharing. Read More

Helpful

(1)

abbyz2000

11/10/2017

I LOVED IT!!!! My 7 yr old found the carrots and potatoes off-putting but after a few times I think she'll get used to it. It takes like regular spaghetti for the most part. I always cut pasta amounts in half. It was perfect that way. Read More

Helpful

(1)

meme shebroe

01/19/2021

***MY NOTE: This recipe reminds me of my Dear Maman similar Spaghetti Sauce that is prepared with similar spices to Mexican & Moroccan pasta sauce. My family cooked with turmeric practically in all their cooking as it is very healthy spice. This spaghetti sauce is tasty and I have made it for years. The only thing I changed is instead of dicing and cubing the onions, carrots and potato, for a better sauce consistence and short cut I placed them all with the cilantro and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, and followed the rest of the steps of the recipe. ABSOLUTELY YUMMY & HEAILTHY SOMALI PASTA DISH! Thanks you Ma for sharing. Read More

Helpful

(1)

SILLYJILLY

09/14/2018

This one is a keeper with requests to have it in the regular rotation. I substituted fresh basil for the cilantro and Italian seasoned ground turkey so therefore omitted the Italian seasoning. I picked a nice red potato which worked nicely. Read More

hannek

01/19/2021

Great recipe. I didn't change a thing. My three kids loved it and they are always a tough sell. This will definitely be in our dinner rotation. Thanks!! Read More

JoAnnC

01/27/2021

I don’t often leave reviews because I do that thing that drives others crazy: I adjust recipes according to what I have on hand and according to my husband’s dietary demands. Having said that, I love this recipe. My husband loves Bolognese sauce, but we’ve had it so often that I’m sick of it. This is a great compromise, and it gets some veggies into his diet. He is a diabetic, so I did not use potatoes. I don’t care for the taste of Mrs Dash products, so I also omitted that. However, I’m a Southern girl, so there’s always okra in my freezer. Okra having African origins, I thought it might make an excellent addition, so I added three pods, chopped. The resulting sauce was delicious and so fragrant! Will certainly make this again. Read More

More Reviews

Back to Somali Spaghetti Sauce

All Reviews for Somali Spaghetti Sauce

- of Reviews

Somali Spaghetti Sauce

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Calories: 545.6

% Daily Value *

protein: 51 %

carbohydrates: 21 %

dietary fiber: 28 %

sugars:

fat: 32 %

saturated fat: 25 %

cholesterol: 17 %

vitamin a iu: 108 %

niacin equivalents: 85 %

vitamin b6: 30 %

vitamin c: 46 %

folate: 21 %

calcium: 9 %

iron: 42 %

magnesium: 13 %

potassium: 26 %

sodium: 33 %

thiamin: 14 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Reviews for: Photos of Somali Spaghetti Sauce

1 of 12

All Reviews

Chef Boy R Drew

02/23/2017

Helpful

(2)

Buckwheat Queen

Allstar

07/10/2016

Very interesting and very delicious. I made mine without the meat. Will definitely make again. Thank you for the recipe.

Helpful

(1)

JaBro

02/02/2017

Helpful

(1)

Blondiegirl

04/11/2016

Helpful

(1)

abbyz2000

11/10/2017

Helpful

(1)

meme shebroe

01/19/2021

Helpful

(1)

SILLYJILLY

09/14/2018

hannek

01/19/2021

Great recipe. I didn't change a thing. My three kids loved it and they are always a tough sell. This will definitely be in our dinner rotation. Thanks!!

JoAnnC