Canned Cranberry Sauce: The Unexpected Twist on Spaghetti

The Internet is buzzing over a surprising new take on an old favorite: spaghetti. This twist comes courtesy of Sabrina Burke, who has transitioned from being a real estate agent to a television personality and content creator. Recently, she gained viral fame for adding canned cranberry sauce to spaghetti and meat sauce.

“If you’re not eating spaghetti like this, you’re missing out, honey,” Burke joked in a TikTok video that has garnered over 1.3 million views and 17,000 shares. In the video, she shares her atypical recipe with her followers.

In her May video, Burke walked viewers through her cooking process. She started by boiling angel hair pasta for six minutes, adding, “If you throw it on the wall and it sticks, it’s ready.”

Next, she browned around two pounds of chopped meat along with a pound of ground sausage. After draining the pot, she tossed in her “secret ingredient.”

“Free cranberry sauce!” she announced playfully, explaining how she planned to wash it off and mix it with the meat. Using a fork, she crushed the cranberry sauce into the mixture. “This will give your spaghetti an incredible flavor,” she claimed. “It’s like a sweet tingly tingly.” According to her, people often enjoy the dish without even realizing it contains cranberry sauce.

Burke then added a mixture of ricotta and Parmesan cheese, stirred in three jars of mushroom tomato sauce, and exclaimed that the cranberry added a hint of tang that perfectly complemented the creaminess of the cheeses.

After taking a hearty bite, she declared, “It’s God. Your family will want this.” However, it’s not just pasta that benefits from her unique twist.

“I also use it in chili, and it takes it to the next level,” Burke revealed, sharing that the flavorful inclusion was a hit during her first attempt in chili, prompting her to try it out in her spaghetti as well. “It’s a game changer and definitely tasty,” she added. Burke believes it’s a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce during the holiday season.

Interestingly, she noted that she prefers the whole berry variety as it blends better with the sauce compared to the jelly type.

She recommends aiming for a balance of 85% savory to 15% sweet on the plate. Community reactions have been mixed. One TikTok user commented, “I made this tonight and you’re absolutely right! It’s good, and you never know it’s cranberry sauce!” while others chimed in with their own suggestions for sweetening spaghetti sauce.

On the flip side, some viewers expressed disbelief, with comments hinting at scandalized Italian traditions. Burke reflected on the mixed responses, noting, “I definitely didn’t expect to upset anyone. I was just sharing a meal twist that my family loved.” Seems like spaghetti night might never be the same again!