Photo/Illutration Spaghetti Neapolitan with larger fillings served with a small omelette.(Chikako Tada)

I made a day trip to Tokyo from Fukuoka to take part in recording a TV program that I told you about last month. I had provided information about special snacks.

However, I am not a professional commentator. And there was a typhoon coming. I was nervous, hoping the recording might get postponed. I felt like a child with a Physical Education grade of 2 who was hoping that Sports Day would be cancelled. But the weather was fine, and my flight was not canceled, hence my arrival at the studio.

Surprisingly, the four-hour recording went well after I entered the dressing room. The 48-page script had been sent to me the night before. A printed copy had also been left for me in the dressing room, and I kept it with me. But just before the show, a staff member came up to me and said, “I’ll take that.” I thought, “What?!” There went my amulet--even though I am just a newbie with a Commentating grade of 2!

Do your best, Chikako! Fingers crossed, I presented my three recommended snacks. One of the TV personalities said that the karinto, which I had feared would be plain brown and not TV-worthy, was “amazing.” I felt relieved.

I couldn’t make a witty comment, but I could feel the professional spirit of the performers and the staff, all working together to create a good production.

After finishing, I rushed to Haneda Airport. At a coffee shop, I ordered a plate of Spaghetti Napolitan. I felt waves of relief wash over me.

Spaghetti Napolitan, a pasta dish flavored with tomato ketchup, is always popular at coffee shops or in school lunches. It’s a common bento item, too, but it’s a shame that it grows clumpy when it’s not hot.

You can avoid clumps by 1) rinsing the cooked pasta in water and 2) adding the rest of the ingredients after everything has cooled. Everyone can get the best grade!

Ingredients for 2 servings
150 grams spaghetti / 4-6 sausages / 1/2 onion / 2 green peppers / 3-4 mushrooms / 1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt / 3 Tbsp tomato ketchup / 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil / 1 Tbsp grated cheese

Directions
1. Add 1 Tbsp salt to boiling water. Boil the spaghetti 1 minute longer than the indicated time.

2. Drain, rinse and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

3. Make the filling. Cut the sausages diagonally and slice the onions thinly. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and slice thinly. Cut the mushrooms into 4-5 pieces.

4. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion, sausage, and 1 tsp of salt and fry over medium heat. Add the mushrooms.

5. Add the ketchup and cook thoroughly to release the flavor.

6. Finally, add the peppers.

7. Transfer to a bowl or other container to cool and sprinkle with grated cheese.

8. Mix the cooled noodles with the cooled ingredients.

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This article originally appeared in the Oct. 6, 2024, issue of Asahi Weekly.

Bento-Tada-L
Chikako Tada

Chikako Tada: The author of seven cookbooks, Tada is a Japanese food journalist and editor of Pen & Spoon, a website devoted to food (https://pen-and-spoon.com/). She worked as a newspaper reporter for 12 years before going freelance. She spent two years studying baking in Paris and began making bento around 2016 during her seven-year stay in India. She returned to Japan in 2020 and lives in Fukuoka.

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