Filipino-style spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 450 g of Italian pasta Chitarra Gragnano or regular spaghetti
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 tbsp rendered bacon fat
• 4 Chinese lap chun sausages, cut into 1cm thick slices.
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 450 g lean ground pork
• 0.5 cup tomato paste
• 3 cups tomato puree
• 1 cup banana ketchup
• 2 tbsp. mushroom powder, preferably from porcini mushrooms
• Grated white cheddar, for serving

Preparation:

1. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan and cook the pasta until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain in a colander and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Heat the bacon fat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Chinese sausage and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 3–5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set aside.
3. Cook the garlic and onion in the same skillet over medium-high heat until the onion is lightly browned, 3–5 minutes. Add the ground pork and cook until the meat is browned and all the liquid has evaporated, 6–8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking until lightly browned, 3–5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and banana ketchup. Stir. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, like Bolognese, about 15 minutes.
5. Add the mushroom powder and season with salt and pepper if needed. Add the remaining sausage. Pour the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with cheddar.
   
   Note
   
   Tomato puree is blanched and cooked tomatoes that are pureed to a smooth consistency. It's best to make tomato puree in large batches and freeze. You can substitute canned chopped tomatoes in their own juice.