BBQ Spaghetti

© Memphis Barbecue Company

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Quick Bite

BBQ spaghetti is a Memphis specialty that tosses spaghetti with a smoky tomato-barbecue sauce and pulled pork. It is pasta that wandered into a barbecue joint and wisely decided to stay.

History

BBQ spaghetti is one of Memphis’s most unusual and beloved barbecue side dishes. It combines cooked spaghetti with a sauce made from tomato, barbecue sauce, vegetables, and smoked pork, creating something that is not quite Italian pasta and not quite a barbecue plate, but very much Memphis.

The dish is most often credited to Brady Vincent, a former railroad cook who ran a Memphis barbecue restaurant called Brady and Lil’s. His version helped define the style, and the recipe later became closely associated with The Bar-B-Q Shop, where BBQ spaghetti remains one of the city’s signature orders.

Part of the genius of BBQ spaghetti is that it uses barbecue flavor all the way through the dish. The sauce usually includes onions, peppers, tomato, barbecue sauce, and chopped or pulled smoked pork, so the noodles soak up smoke, sweetness, tang, and meatiness.

In Memphis, BBQ spaghetti is usually served as a side dish, but it eats like a full meal. It belongs next to ribs, pulled pork, slaw, beans, and white bread, though nobody would blame you for just eating a bowl of it by itself.

Fun Facts

• BBQ spaghetti is strongly associated with Memphis.
• It usually includes pulled or chopped smoked pork in the sauce.
• The dish is often served as a barbecue side, even though it is hearty enough to be dinner.

Where to Try

The Bar-B-Q Shop Memphis, Tennessee
The essential Memphis stop for BBQ spaghetti, tied to the Brady Vincent recipe tradition.

Marlowe’s Ribs & Restaurant Memphis, Tennessee
A Memphis barbecue restaurant known for its own take on BBQ spaghetti alongside ribs and smoked meats.

Interstate Barbecue Memphis, Tennessee
A long-running Memphis barbecue name where smoky pork, sauce, and classic sides are the point.

About the Game

This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.

Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.

Recipe

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Home-Cook-Friendly BBQ Spaghetti Serves: 6 Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Difficulty: Easy Style: Memphis / Barbecue Side Dish

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup barbecue sauce, preferably Memphis-style
• ½ cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups chopped pulled pork or smoked pork shoulder
• Salt, to taste
• Optional: pinch of cayenne or hot sauce

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti: Cook the spaghetti until just tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Start the sauce: Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large pot.
3. Cook the vegetables: Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook until softened.
4. Add the garlic: Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Build the barbecue sauce: Stir in the tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne or hot sauce if using.
6. Simmer: Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes so the sauce thickens and the flavors blend.
7. Add the pork: Stir in the chopped pulled pork.
8. Add the pasta: Add the cooked spaghetti and toss until fully coated.
9. Let it soak up flavor: Simmer gently for a few minutes so the noodles absorb the sauce.
10. Adjust and serve: Taste and adjust with salt or more barbecue sauce.

Traditional note: To make it more traditional, use real smoked pork, not just plain cooked meat, and let the spaghetti simmer briefly in the sauce so it absorbs the barbecue flavor. Serve it as a side with ribs or pulled pork for the full Memphis effect.

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