*Food snobs, please look away now…you WILL be horrified 
“I smell money” I said one night while eating dinner with Mr NQN and his brother Manu.
Mr NQN gave me a strange look, I’m prone to picking up random smells (he doesn’t have much of a sense of smell so he never smells them). But Manu sniffed the air and said “yeah me too! It’s quite strong!” while Mr NQN looked at both of us like we had lost both our minds.
“It’s probably some ghost walking past us that smells like money” I said and Manu nodded. Mr NQN continued his examination of his alien wife and alien brother.
There were other odder things to contend with that night. I wrote before about the television show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo in which a 6 year old child pageant winner from Georgia is the star of her own reality TV show. I was totally sucked into watching the show through a recipe. A friend sent me with the message “You know you want to make Mama June’s sketti with ketchup and butter. I know you!” along with a video link. She was right, although when I saw first watched them making it, (complete with the shot of a child’s foot on the bench top!) I was a bit taken aback.
But it never left my mind and for the next week I wondered what it would taste like. Before you scoff, revered cook Marcella Hazan is well known for her own tomato and butter sauce recipe (although let’s be honest, it’s not made with ketchup). Even before the show aired, a thread on Chowhound was devoted to this particular concoction with people reminiscing about the recipe having grown up on it. With buttered noodles a European at-home staple, it probably isn’t that different from Nigella’s Vegemite spaghetti. And if I had found it in some charmin’ Southern recipe book ya’ll, I would gone straight for it. So I kept mulling it over and wondering if I should make this, just to see what it was like so I made it for Manu and Mr NQN after a day of kite boarding when they’d be ravenously hungry.
I’m pretty sure this is not what the Lurpak people had in mind when they sent me some butter…sorry.
Needless to say, it was easy, the whole point was to make it just like they did it and I resisted the urge to fancy it up or add greens to it. I think on the show they even add in a bit of ground road kill although I didn’t do this (naw, really, I hear you say ). So what was it like? It was on the sweet side, the ketchup took care of that and of course buttery. But it was actually not too bad really – much better than that soft spaghetti you get in a can which I actually find quite unpalatable and mushy. I would perhaps add some Tabasco to give it some spiciness or switch the butter to cream next time and play with some herbs. Did I just say next time?
So tell me Dear Reader, would you try this? And what do you think of Honey Boo Boo?
P.S. Mama June also makes lemonade using 2.5 kilos or 5 pounds of sugar to 2 litres of lemon juice!
P.P.S. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t eat this very often because it isn’t the healthiest meal…although I think a creamy pasta sauce packs a similar amount of calories.
P.P.P.S. If you want to learn how to do the spaghetti twirl, I will show you at the end of the recipe!
Sketti With Buttered Ketchup
- 500g/1 pound dried spaghetti
- 110g/1 stick butter
- 1.5 cups ketchup
- Salt and pepper to taste
1. Place a big pot of salted water onto boil. Add the spaghetti and cook it according to packet instructions. Drain.
It looks like lava or a ball of fire
2. Meanwhile, Mama June put the butter and ketchup in the microwave so that the butter would melt and make a sauce. You can do this or put it in the pot once the pasta is cooked. Coat the pasta with the sauce and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
How to make the spaghetti twirl
1. Take a carving fork or large pronged fork and a flat spatula or wooden spoon and take some saucy spaghetti and twirl it around the fork while it the sharp ends sit on the spatula.
2. Keep twirling until it is all twirled up into a neat bundle-sometimes strands will stick out but that’s ok.
3. Place it on the plate and gently remove the spatula and then the fork.
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68 Comments | Add your own
I often do this, but not with ketchup, just plain tomato sauce. I’ve never tried ketchup and butter before. It sounds so sweet and yummy! I enjoyed the detail of the presentation. I don’t usually spend much time on presentation in this dish, but I’ll serve it this way next time!
Oh. My. I’ve heard of that train wreck of a show. I can’t believe it’s still on the air. I’ve only seen a clip on YouTube and it’s horrible.
You actually made pasta with butter and ketchup. And blogged about it. Hmmmmm. I’m starting to see Mr. NQNs point of view.
My friend Sissi (with a glass) makes a home made ketchup from Jeffrey Steingarten’s recipe, next time you should make it with that! http://www.withaglass.com/?p=11341
Sinfully delicious and easy to make! Great comfort food.
Cheers,
Rosa
In Japan we have ketchup pasta called “Spaghetti Napolitan” and it’s usually kids’ favorite pasta. This recipe reminds me of that…Napolitan has Japanese sausages and veggies in it, but mainly seasoned by ketchup and salt and pepper. It’s so good! I love your tip on how to roll up pasta!
I wouldn’t try this not because of the butter, but because I don’t eat Ketchup lol but it sure is a VERY easy spaghetti
And I don’t believe in food snobs lol all food should be appreciated
I have to confess, I really enjoyed the clips of the show on YouTube. Especially when the train rolls past within metres of their front door!
Not sure I’d make the sketti, but it actually looks very nice! 
Haha you’re a funny one! Never knew recipes like this existed!
Tomato sauce and butter sauce… You are not the only one with keen smell sense I can smell this from here
That is definitely one very incredible dish my friend and I would love to try it (yay no greens!!!)
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I probably wouldn’t make this, and I have not seen the program, it sounds positively nauseating.
I love Nigella’s Vegemite Spaghetti. I have a sneaking suspicion that my pasta loving son would wolf this down too.
You have successfully made something totally horrific look gorgeous and dare I say… Palatable :0 well done! I don’t know if I will be sampling it. Very funny story and thankfully I don’t know honey boo boo !! Although with a diet I that lemonade and sketti I think she might end up being the face of Jenny Craig in the future
Lol lol lol! The post cracked me up. I find Honey Boo Boo so funny. She endorsed President Obama because the President had chosen her show over her rivals. That was so funny, hahahaha! I love the spaghetti.
I haven’t heard of Honey boo boo, but will find out
Lorraine,
Thankyou for the laugh you gave me, this morning when I read this blog!
Lurpak would be fine that you used their fine product in such a dish! I’m sure!
I am not really opposed to this recipe but as with the Nigella Vegemite comparison, it’s not really much of a recipe for me. More like a snack than a meal in my books. Doesn’t have any vegetables in it so I would probably avoid it. I think it is more something that children would love and I might make for kids. I do have a deep seated feelings about ketchup. My mother always frowned upon the use of it in any way and to this day I would still have reservations about basing a whole dish on ketchup even though logically I should cook whatever I like. On the whole – thumbs up
Say no to food snobbery 
You had me at buttered! I would definitely try this
Haha oh god, my first thought when I saw this was of awful mushy tinned spaghetti!
Unsurprisingly, you make this look quite delicious
I’m not sure if I’d try it myself, but I still need to try that vegemite pasta! I love the spaghetti twirling tips.
Considering that I’ve always hated tinned spaghetti (I bought it once a few years ago, and only choked it down by DOUSING it in tabasco), I think I’ll stick with the vegemite pasta
This is the first post you have written where I actually said aloud, “What? WHAT???” Of course, I read the post and laughed, as I usually do, at your warmth and humor. And then I had to sadly admit that I could just be that horrid food snob…I don’t think I can wrap myself around the ketchup…but I love you doubly for doing so. And admitting it
hmm, I think I’m like you Lorraine, I’ll have to mull this over time to accept it as a legitimate meal. My teens love pasta … but do I want them knowing about this?? I’ve seen photo’s of Honey Boo & Mum, not sure if I’ll find the show appealing or appalling!
I thought you were joking. Italians make tomato sauce and add olive oil. The American version uses ketchup and butter, because according to Americans everything tastes better with butter:) Now it makes sense. Surprised to see no bacon.
My dad calls this kinda spaghetti “buzz-ghetti”
Hmm…I’m very very very tempted to try this…
Been making this for years; so far no tv offers. Try it with a very big handful of frozen peas – defrosted. Must be lunch time soon …
You just gotta love a recipe that has pasta, butter and tomato sauce:) I’m thinking now cause I love the concept – simple, tasty, yummy…
I’m not a fan of tomato sauce but I know a certain husband would love this! I bet it would bring back some childhood memories for him. Love the twists. I always try them with tongs but this way looks much more effective.
[Loud laughter] Had never heard of sketti until five minutes ago
! Yes, I have made and do make Marcella Hazan’s version sort’of [adore the lady; she taught me to cook Italian!]: with real tomatoes and much less butter and lots of herbs and some garlic etc etc . . . And, yes this would be much better than the horrible mush coming out of tins, but may I pass 
? But, honest injun, I can twirl pasta with the best of them!!
Beautifully twirled pasta, Lorraine on a beautiful plate. Even ketchup pasta looks special if you present it well! I believe I am guilty of eating this type of a dish although I do try to glam it up a bit with a touch of basil! xx
Oh my, I think it was a smart idea to serve to the men-folks when they would be hungry enough to eat anything
I also don’t think Mama June will be feeding this to little miss Diva for long if she wants her to fit in pageant costumes!
I’m not fond of kiddy pageants, kids nowadays already think they’re the center of the universe.
Your swirls are gorgeous, thanks for the tip!
I could see this working quite well actually. Once when the house was running low on food, I tried cooking spaghetti with egg, tomato sauce and sweet chilli sauce; the end result was weirdly reminiscent of pad thai, and I imagine, somewhat similar to this.
I guess I’m not from far enough in the South…hadn’t heard of this concoction, and won’t be making it. The Marcella Hazan version, I’ve made many times. No sugar that I remember in it. My white trash food memories growing up included a plate of beans (from dried), thick cut fried bacon and a mess of greens for a wonderful winter meal. Delicious. And by some miracle, pageant girls (Southern ones at least), seem to stay thin until they get married, and then blimp out to become pageant moms!
You’re my kind of girl.
uwh,,, looks delicious,,, i love spaghetti ^_^
My husband talks about a dish his non-cooking father made on the odd occasion when he had to get dinner for Mr Good and his brother. They call it Dad’s spaghetti and it involves cooked pasta with tomato sauce and grated Kraft cheese, you know the kind that comes in a block and doesn’t need to be refrigerated. He wants to feed it to our girls but I won’t let him, perhaps I’m being a food snob.
haha oh my! Only you could make such a dish look so beautiful!! I have seen very little of miss honey boo boo, but what I’ve seen is both kind of cute and absolutely terrifying.
Heidi xo
This is a bold recipe Lorraine.
Yes, I’ll try it, why not?
sounds like a perfect recipe for hungry and broke students
definitely going to try this one day!
Yum! Im going to give this recipe a whirl, I mean twirl!
adding salt to tomato sauce? really
This reminds me of my childhood when my mum would cook spaghetti in chicken stock and then we’d cover it in tomato sauce (fountain brand) and top it with Kraft parmesan cheese. And I’m from a Greek background. So I guess what I’m saying is, I’d eat that
More than enough people are talking about Mama June and her Honey Boo Boo right now. It’s hard to gets way from it. It’s admirable that you gave this dish a try. It was quite frightening to see them make it on-air!
Aaaahhahhahahahhaha wow this has made my day…. I cannot believe it…. sounds absurd, yet buttery tomato goodness certainly got my attention! I’ll hate myself for it, but I kinda wanna try it..
That looks yum!
Lol @ “Food snobs, please look away now…you WILL be horrified” though. And how you’re apologizing to the butter people hahaha
On a side note, I’ve never heard of that Here Comes Honey Boo Boo show before, but I’ve been kind of weirded out by Sophia Grace and Rosie’s appearances on Ellen to be honest. They just seem SO young to be that precocious…!
It would be a great meal for a quick and easy meal, but I’m not sure I could handle all that butter!
Sometimes the simple things are the best! I LOVE Heinz tomato soup because it’s sweet and creamy and I bet this tastes similar. I’m going to wait until next time I’m cooking alone and unleash the sketti ketchup fiend in me!
Oh bugger those snobs, we’re all trailer trash at heart. You go lozza boo!
this is what we make for the kids in the evening when we don’t really feel like cooking (and by we I mean the mommy cousins and not me)
We got a case of ketchup as a wedding gift…hubby loves the stuff. So I know this spaghetti would be a hit
Oh dear, me no likey
Even though you are using your best pantry staples it wouldn’t make me eat it ,sorry Lorraine but it’s a thumbs down from me! 
As long as the pasta is al dente this sounds great, but then I own 2 books on white trash cooking and adore them!
I might try this but not in a big chunk of butter. That’s too scary for me, and that lemonade sugar…errr, not sure about it, too, hehehe. So, show me the money (did you figure out where the smells came from?)
Lorraine, You have a gift. You can even make what we in the South call Trailer Trash food look awesome.:)
Sometime we have no time to prepare meal and if we didn’t realize there are weeks we didn’t go to the market, of course…I can try this…
dammit, I thought I had all the episodes of that show.
Grrrr… must go find this one.
But this recipe… um no. Thanks for the reminder of the vegemite one, I totally need to make that.
I love this meal. My mum used to make us a similar meal but using Banana Ketchup and lots and lots of pepper. So delicious. Honey Boo Boo is hilarious. I got roped into watching it too and couldn’t stop ahahhaa.
You made Mama’s ‘sketti’!!! I LOVE IT!! I’m so addicted to Honey Boo Boo..although I think they may have moved or might be moving to Beverly Hills…the real Beverly Hillbillies! I don’t want them to…it will take away what makes Honey Boo boo, well..Honey Boo Boo. Could you see Sugar Bear in Beverly Hills?? lol That said..I actually did eat ketchup and ‘pasghetti’ (what I called it as kid, but just ketchup, never with butter or margarine). When I graduated to real tomato sauce..I started adding butter to the hot pasta before tossing with the sauce. I never knew it was something Marcella Hazan does!
actually, i’m only a tad disgusted by this grub but extremely horrified that the american south is coming to be associated with honey boo boo. what a disgrace. :}
I’ve made a similar recipe before using an undiluted tin of tomato soup, butter and a whole onion, cut in half (which is removed before serving). I did like it but now am thinking it might be better if swapped for olive oil instead. Or maybe half oil, half butter.
This is Deliciousness.. Comfort!!!
My kids will go crazy for this…
Yum!!!
B/W Did you tried the photoshop technique!!
Back in Malaysia when I was a kid, my mum used to cook spaghetti with Maggi Tomato Sauce with a bit of Maggi Chilli Sauce, minced chicken and topped with Kraft cheese! I still make it sometimes as it is a great comfort food! Reminds me of home and family when I was a kid.
I had the pleasure to taste this dish before , in my student days, I made this too but I used margarine instead of butter: so good, so tasty!
love your spaghetti twirl – I can guarantee that E would love me if I made this pasta for him but I can also tell you it is highly unlikely because I am very limited in foods I like with tomato sauce – but am interested to see it here
Hmmm – not sure Honey Boo Boo’s diet is one I want to emulate, but sketti is always welcome.
When I was in university we all lived in spaghetti and ketchup pilfered from McDonalds. This is a step up but it’s still ketchup and spaghetti.
As an Italian everything about this pasta horrifies me, on the other hand I am incredibly attracted to it too… Although I could loose my citizenship if I do cook it or, god forbid, admit I might like it
Oh my! There is something SO appealing about this recipe. I love the quick marmite pasta that nigella makes, that this just tickles me. Will have to try it out!
Bahahah I love that you made this. I saw the same episode and was pretty horrified but at the same time it didn’t sound… TOO bad. Ps thanks for sharing how to do the spaghetti swirls!
The very best thing about this recipe is reading all of the food snobs comments here and seeing them prove that they really are pretentious
. Love the recipe, love the fact you posted about it and can’t get enough of Honey Boo boo…at least her family is “real”! No pretension there folks! 
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