Why it works: Pepper and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 68,474 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Serves 2Ingredients
Directions
Cook the spaghetti
Put about 8 cups of water in a large pot.
Add 2 tbsp salt to the water.
Bring the water to a boil on high heat.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
Make the sauce
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet.
Stir-fry onion, bell pepper, and sausage on medium heat until softened.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Add drained spaghetti to the skillet.
Stir-fry the spaghetti with the other ingredients.
Add ketchup to the skillet.
Stir-fry the spaghetti with ketchup.
Mix in butter.
Stop the heat.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + buttertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together42,912 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Ham + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,475 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Onion + hamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,159 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Onion + ketchuptop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,997 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Spaghetti
- Forms the bulk of the dish and absorbs the ketchup and butter as it is stir-fried.
- Ketchup
- Provides sweetness and acidity, and its sugars brown slightly in the hot skillet.
- Sausage or ham
- Adds savoury, salty flavour and a firm, meaty bite.
- Bell pepper
- Adds sweetness and a crisp-tender texture when softened in the pan.
- Onion
- Adds aromatic sweetness that deepens as it softens in the oil.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a glossy finish to the sauced spaghetti.
The step that matters
Stir-fry the spaghetti with ketchup. Ketchup contains sugars and acids that can scorch on high heat, and the spaghetti must be coated evenly. Keeping the heat moderate lets the sugars caramelise lightly without burning, while the acid sharpens the flavour.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, ham, ketchup, butter):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardfits about as well
- Onionthe original
- Shallotfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, ham, ketchup, butter. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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