Jollof Spaghetti – Sierra Leone Flavours
Sierra Leone recipe / West African recipe : This Jollof spaghetti aka Jollof pasta would be perfect to serve up at any party.
So I have this two part plan. First, come up with the perfect jollof spaghetti recipe. Yes you heard me right, jollof pasta. Second, convince my sister to serve said Jollof pasta at her wedding next year. Heck, we all know that it aint no West African wedding if it got no Jollof rice in it somewhere right? So why not go over board and serve up some jollof pasta too?
So I threw myself into the first part with gusto. There are many versions of Jollof rice all across West Africa. Although we may disagree on it origins (clearly it originated from Sierra Leone), we all agree one on thing – it all starts with an awesome tomato base to which we add our personalised flavours. In my case coconut milk and baked plantain cubes and some huge shrimps to keep the OH happy.
And voila – I present my jollof spaghetti – it works, it really, really, really works.
Now for the second part of the plan – I have sent the recipe to my sister who is going to get all her friends round for a decision making eating session. But I know I stand a pretty good chance from the noises she is making so far. 😀
Now that I have got that over with can you allow me a moment to indulge I some Cirio love? Please?
‘The quality of Cirio’s preserves comes from the exceptional quality of the 100% Italian raw produce and the extreme care we take throughout the growing, picking, processing and packaging process’.
And that quality certainly shines through on their products.
They produce the most amazing, good quality Italian tomatoes products. I am talking thick rich passata, lush salsina chockablock with herbs and onions, peeled plum tomatoes, aromatic cherry tomatoes aka Pomodorini, vibrant Tuscan chopped tomatoes, a range of ready to use pasta sauces and their finely chopped tomatoes, that have saved the day at many a children’s supper.
I am pleased to say that I have teamed up with Cirio to bring you a range of recipes using some of their products. So watch this space over the next few months for more recipes featuring them.
Now here is how to make jollof pasta – do try it and I hope you enjoy every mouthful.
For more recipes using Cirio please check out the one pot butternut squash and chorizo casserole from Fab Food 4 All and spicy tomato egg bake from Foodie Quine.
Sierra Leone flavours – is the spot on my blog where I share both traditional Sierra Leonean recipes and West African fusion recipes.
This post is sponsored. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to continue cooking up great recipes for you. All opinions are my own.
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Jollof Spaghetti - Sierra Leone Flavours
Ingredients
- 450 g spaghetti
- For the jollof sauce
- Two small onions finely chopped and divided
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- Chopped scotch bonnet chilli to taste
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes I used Cirio
- 1 tbsp tomato puree I used Cirio
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 6 sprig of thyme
- 1 stock cube
- 240 ml (1 cup) coconut milk
- 250 g shrimps
- salt
To serve:
- Baked plantains
- Spring onions scallions, finely sliced
- Extra chilli
- Parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and set aside somewhere warm.
- Add half the onion, the pepper, scotch bonnet chilli to taste, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic and grated ginger into a blender and blend into a smooth paste and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the remaining onion, water and bay leaves and fry for 7 mins until soft. Add the tomato pepper paste, white pepper, thyme and stock cube, stir well, reduce the heat and cook for approx. 20 min till the tomato sauce is cooked through. Add in the coconut milk bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add in the shrimps and cook for about 5 mins until the shrimps are cooked through. Adjust seasoning
- Serve the pasta with a heaping of the jollof sauce and top with the plantains, spring onions, chilli and parsley. Enjoy every mouthful.
Your photos are stunning! Love the colors and flavors in this pasta! Must try!
Thank you.
This looks so incredibly flavorful!!
😀
This looks so good – I’ve never thought of trying a spaghetti with coconut flavours, but I bet it’s incredibly tasty!
It does work very well together.
I had never heard of Jollof Rice until I read Ben Aaronovitch’s book Rivers of London. There is a character in there called Mama Thames who is Nigerian and I set about researching Nigerian Food and up popped Jollof Rice. Clearly my research was all wrong because it comes from Sierra Leone!!
I love the idea of these flavours in pasta. Funny how just changing some of the spices in your recipe would make this an Indian pasta dish. I use Cirio every day in some way shape or form. It’s the basis for many dhals and curries in our house because it’s properly tomatoey as you say. Lovely recipe. I hope you manage to convince your sister.
Oooo, now I have to go get Rivers of London. Cirio just have the best tomotoes.
This looks and sounds so delicious! Love seafood and tomato pasta dishes x
The prawns certainly add a little extra to the jollof pasta.
With a husband from Ghana, Jollof is a staple in our house. I love it and love this twist you’ve added to it.
Oh – I would love to know yuor version of Jollof.
That looks delicious! I love any excuse to eat shrimp 🙂
😀
I haven’t seen this brand before, but I’ll keep an eye out for it. This dish looks so delicious!
Cirio tomatoes are really, really really good. Honestly try them yourself to see.
First of all…your pictures are stunning! Taste aside, those colors would certainly be beautiful at a wedding! 🙂 I hadn’t heard of jollof before this, but now I’m really intrigued, especially with the plantain topping. Pinning this for later. 🙂
Please do let me know if you make it and come back and ask any questions.
You always take the most amazing photos. You food pics always make me hungry…and I’m eating dinner as I type this. Seriously! Lol! This looks delicious. Definitely pinning for later!
😀
Sounds amazing! My daughter’s wedding is only 10 weeks away and if we were serving this, I know our guests would swoon!
Good luck with your daughters wedding.
That looks beyond delicious, and your photos are stunning!
Thank you Dorothy.
Amazing… this looks fantastic B! Jollof pasta, I’m so in love with it. Your sister should definitely consider serving this, it’ll be a hit! 🙂
Here is hoping she goes for it.
I’m all about fusion food – and I put pasta sauce on rice, so why not rice seasoning on pasta? LOL And it sure does look good… OK, anything with shrimp like that looks good!
Hahahaha – shrimps, cococnut and good tomatoes totally make it good.
The flavor combination in this dish sounds amazing and looks beautiful!
Thank you Renee, it tastes as good as it look.
Your pictures make me want to make this right now!
Wow, the colors in that are stunning! Looks delicious!
😀
Your pictures are beautiful! I would have never guessed the added heat from the Scotch Bonnet Chile, but I am intrigued! It looks amazing!
Thank you Roxana.
Looks good, I’ve tried your jolloff rice and had never thought of trying that on pasta.
And I have tried cirio before and it really is worth it. I don’t normally say things like that, normally supermarket own brands are just as good, but in this case, it is certainly worth it, delicious stuff.
I agree, Cirio is sooooooo worth getting. They are defo my pantry staple.
I have never tried Jollof but I’m so intrigued … for so many reasons! And especially because these look absolutely crazy-delicious! Pinning.
Hahahaha – I really hope you like it. One of my fav foods.