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.
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.
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.
- 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
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.
FAQ's
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.
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!
Recipe
Puerto Rican Spaghetti with Pork Chops
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
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
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.
Tip: A small, sharp boning knife works best for getting close to the bone, without wasting any meat!
Marines says
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.
Jackie Wood says
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!!
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