Barbecue Pulled Pork Spaghetti

An easy skillet meal made with spaghetti, pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and brown sugar hickory baked beans (beans are optional). 

Barbecue is the one thing that my family loves to eat. We're also huge spaghetti fans, so I decided to combine both flavors and came up with this Barbecue Pulled Pork Spaghetti. This is definitely not your normal spaghetti, but this dish is really good and packed full of barbecue flavor.  

I've had this recipe tucked in the back of my mind for quite a few years. I watched an episode of Down Home with The Neely's on the Food Network and they mentioned that they serve BBQ Spaghetti at their restaurant. I thought what a neat twist on a classic spaghetti dish as well as a great  way to use leftover pulled pork. 

We always have leftover pulled pork from barbecue sandwiches, so this is a win for me. I think leftover barbecue chicken would work with this recipe as well. If you don't have any pulled pork on hand you can always purchase store bought. The Neely's use homemade BBQ sauce, but I simplified the recipe and used our favorite bottled barbecue sauce, and the addition of baked beans. I know the combination sounds strange, but trust me all the flavors came together nicely. 

Bush's new baked beans have just the right amount of sweetness with a slow-cooked hickory flavor. These new brown hickory sugar beans were the perfect addition to my Barbecue Pulled Pork Spaghetti. I love to think outside the box or in this case the can, and add baked beans to a variety of different recipes.  

If you love barbecue and you love skillet meals then you'll love this recipe. It's super simple to make and only requires a handful of ingredients. If you dislike beans they're totally optional, so just leave them out and it is just as delicious. Let's get started and I'll show you how easy this dish came together.   

Start by heating the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the bell pepper and onion and saute' until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute' for an additional minute. 

Add the pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and baked beans (if using). Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain spaghetti and reserve 4 ounces of cooked pasta water.  

Add the cooked spaghetti to the barbecue mixture and toss until completely coated with sauce. If the mixture is too thick add the reserved pasta water and lightly toss before serving. Serve with a vegetable, salad, and hot rolls to complete the meal. 


Barbecue Pulled Pork Spaghetti 

8 - ounces whole grain or regular spaghetti (about half a package)
1/2 - cup reserved cooked pasta water 
1/2 - tablespoon olive oil
1/2 - cup onion, chopped 
1/4 - cup green bell pepper, chopped 
1/2 - pound cooked pulled pork or store bought pulled pork without sauce 
1 - clove garlic, minced
1 - cup your favorite barbecue sauce 
1  - cup Bush's brown sugar baked beans (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the bell pepper and onion and saute' until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute' for an additional minute. 

2. Add the pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and baked beans (if using). Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes. 

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain spaghetti and reserve 4 ounces of cooked pasta water.  

4. Add the cooked spaghetti to the barbecue mixture and toss until completely coated with sauce. Add the reserved pasta water at the very end if the mixture is too thick.  Season with salt and pepper if needed. 

Cook's Note:  To make make this meal vegetarian omit the meat entirely and uses Bush Vegetarian Baked Beans. If you want to spice things up a bit use Bush's Sweet Heat Beans. 

servings: 4-6 
inspired by: Down Home with The Neely's

In case you  missed it...... I'm sharing last months post for my Barbecue Chicken Cornbread Bake using Bush's New Sweet Heat Beans. 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Bush's Beans. I have a long term relationship with Bush, which I am compensated for, however all opinions stated above are 100% entirely own.