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    Home » Puerto Rican Recipes

    Published: Aug 15, 2020 · Modified: Apr 29, 2025 by Neyssa

    Spaghetti with Pork Chops

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    If you want to shake up pasta night, Puerto Rican spaghetti with pork chops is a must-make! Tender bites of juicy pork in a savory sofrito-based sauce, tossed with pasta, make for a flavorful and comforting 30-minute weeknight meal.

    Growing up, my mom would often whip up this pork chop pasta dish, and to this day, I'm still surprised at how few people have heard of it! It's one of those hidden gems of Puerto Rican cooking that deserves a spot on every dinner table.

    A red pot is full of spaghetti with cut pork chops and bell peppers on a blue background.

    Eating pork today is a rare occasion, but growing up? I remember there was some form of chuletas being served at least once a week. One of my favorite dishes is fried chuletas (pork chops) with a side of rice, beans, and ripe avocado. Another favorite is pernil with a side of arroz con gandules and yuca!

    Learn a little Spanish! In Puerto Rico, we call this dish "Espaguetis con Chuletas" (pronounced ehs-pah-geh-tees kohn choo-leh-tahs), which simply means spaghetti with pork chops.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • Instructions
    • FAQ's
    • More pork recipes to try!
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    This dish comes together easily, and most of the flavor comes from our classic sofrito: a blend of garlic, onions, peppers, and cilantro.

    A wooden cutting board topped with ingredients separated by small bowls.
    • Boneless Pork Chops (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
      • Using boneless pork chops is an easy way to make this dish in such a short amount of time. Boneless pork loin is also a great choice.
    • Seasonings
      • salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and optionally chicken bouillon
    • Cooking Oil
      • We need just a little bit of oil for sautéing the pork chops and veggies. You can use any neutral oil.
    • Sofrito
    • Veggies (julienned)
      • onions, red and green bell peppers, garlic
      • Adding this is optional, but it adds extra flavor and texture to the pork and pasta dish.
    • Tomato Paste
    • Crushed Tomatoes
    • Cilantro
      • Optional, but adding finely chopped cilantro at the end brings in a nice aromatic and fresh flavor to our chuletas and spaghetti.
    • White Vinegar
      • This is optional, I suggest you give it a try before and after to see which is your preferred method!
    • Cooked Pasta
      • I use regular spaghetti noodles, but feel free to switch it up or use whatever you have on hand. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

    (See the printable card for quantities.)

    Instructions

    Seasoned raw cut pork in glass bowl.

    First, season your bite-sized chopped boneless pork chops with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.

    Pork cooking in pan.

    Next, warm neutral oil over medium-high heat before adding the pieces of pork.

    Pork browning in pan.

    Then, continue cooking the pork, allowing it to brown while cooking. This process will be quick, about 3-4 minutes. Or until pork is cooked through.

    Removing pork chops from the pot with a metal spoon.

    After that, remove the pork and set it aside.

    Raw onions and peppers in a pan.

    Now, saute the onions and peppers.

    Sauteed vegetables in a pot for pork chop spaghetti.

    Once the vegetables are softened, stir in the garlic, sofrito, and cilantro. Cook for an additional minute, and if needed, lower heat to medium.

    Spaghetti sauce with pork chops.

    Next, add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Gently stir to combine it all and allow the sauce to warm through. Now, taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper,or chicken bouillon, if needed. Then, add a small splash of white vinegar and stir to combine.

    Cooked pasta tossed into spaghetti with pork chop sauce in a pot.

    Finally, toss in the cooked pasta and mix until coated.

    Close of shop of a black plate filled with cooked spaghetti with tomato sauce and chunks of pork and veggies.

    FAQ's

    How do I know if it's cooked through?

    Pork chops tend to cook quickly, especially pork without bones.
    Here are some tried and true cook times:
    Cook times for chops, loins, and roasts: Medium Rare -145-150’F Medium – 150-155’F Medium Well – 155-160’F Well – 160’F.

    Remember, the sweet spot is 145 degrees, and allowing your pork to rest for three minutes ensures it stays super juicy, and not tough.

    How do I debone a pork chop?

    To debone a pork chop you first need to place the raw pork chop flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice along the bone, keeping the blade as close to the bone as possible to remove in one clean piece. (Slow and steady wins the race!)

    Tip: A small, sharp boning knife works best for getting close to the bone, without wasting any meat!

    More pork recipes to try!

    Here are more Puerto Rican recipes that use pork!

    fried pork chops in a colorful blue and yellow bowl
    Fried Pork Chops
    roasted pork shoulder on a pan
    Pernil
    pork kabobs on a wooden platter with lime wedges
    Pork Pinchos

    Recipe

    Puerto Rican Spaghetti with Pork Chops

    Tasty pork chops cut into bite sized chunks and made with a Latin sofrito spaghetti sauce.
    4.43 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: Puerto Rican
    Keyword: chuletas, pasta, pasta sauce, pork chops, sofrito, spaghetti
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 352kcal
    Author: Neyssa
    Cost: 12

    Equipment

    • stove

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 pounds Boneless Pork Chops chopped into bite sizes
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2-4 tablespoons oil
    • 1 yellow onion julienned
    • 1 red bell pepper julienned
    • 1 green bell pepper julienned
    • 1 yellow bell pepper julienned
    • 3 cloves garlic chopped
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • ¼ cup sofrito
    • 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
    • 1 teaspoon chicken bullion seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
    • 1 pound cooked pasta
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions

    • First, season your bite-sized chopped boneless pork chops with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.
    • Next, warm neutral oil over medium-high heat before adding the pieces of pork.
    • Then, continue cooking the pork, allowing it to brown while cooking. This process will be quick, about 3-4 minutes. Or until pork is cooked through.
    • After that, remove the pork and set it aside.
    • Now, saute the onions and peppers.
    • Once the vegetables are softened, stir in the garlic, sofrito, and cilantro. Cook for an additional minute, and if needed, lower heat to medium.
    • Next, add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Gently stir to combine it all and allow the sauce to warm through. Now, taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, or chicken bouillon, if needed. Then, add a small splash of white vinegar and stir to combine.
    • Finally, toss in the cooked pasta and mix until coated.

    Notes

    How do I keep my pork from being rough and dry?
    Overcooking pork chops is the reason why pork will turn out rough and/or dry. 
    How do I know if the pork is cooked through?
    Pork chops tend to cook quickly, especially pork without bones.
    Here are some tried and true cook times:
    Cook times for chops, loins, and roasts: Medium Rare -145-150’F Medium – 150-155’F Medium Well – 155-160’F Well – 160’F.

    Remember, the sweet spot is 145 degrees, and allowing your pork to rest for three minutes ensures it stays super juicy, and not tough.
    How do I debone a pork chop?
    To debone a pork chop you first need to place the raw pork chop flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice along the bone, keeping the blade as close to the bone as possible to remove in one clean piece. (Slow and steady wins the race!)

    Tip: A small, sharp boning knife works best for getting close to the bone, without wasting any meat!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 913mg | Potassium: 959mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1674IU | Vitamin C: 139mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 5mg

    More Puerto Rican Recipes

    • Close up shot of coquito in a glass cup with cinnamon on the rim and a Puerto Rican flag.
      Classic Coquito with Tea
    • Tea for coquito is inside of a glass cup with a gray and blue background, spices, and Puerto Rican flags.
      Spiced Tea for Coquito
    • Close up shot of freshly made loose yellow rice and green pigeon peas in a silver pot.
      Arroz con gandules
    • A close up shot of crema de maiz inside of a bowl with a spoon, topped with fresh berries.
      Harina De Maiz: Cornmeal Porridge

    About Neyssa

    Neyssa is a Latina food blogger who shares her Cuban and Puerto Rican family recipes for home cooks to make.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marines says

      June 09, 2022 at 3:21 pm

      5 stars
      We ate this at least twice a month when I was a kid, but, I didn't remember eating this at all until I read this recipe. Thanks! I'll have to make this for my kids soon.

      Reply
    2. Jackie Wood says

      December 11, 2023 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      First time making this & it was EXCELLENT!!! Although we both love our pork, my husband is not a big pasta lover, but he LOVED this!! It's definitely going into the "keeper" file!!

      Reply
    4.43 from 14 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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    Neyssa is a Puerto Rican and Cuban self-taught home cook who lives right outside of Philly and is on a mission to share recipes that are inspired by her Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage.

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