Crispy Fried Fish with Garlic and Lemon Spaghetti

This fried fish and spaghetti dish is a beloved soul food combination enjoyed for weeknight dinners, fish fry Fridays, and holidays. It pairs Southern-style fried catfish with a hearty soul food spaghetti, delivering crispy fish alongside a savory, seasoned pasta.

Fried fish and spaghetti was a regular meal in Marrekus’s childhood. Catfish, whiting, bream, crappies, or larger freshwater fish are deep-fried to a golden crisp and served with soul food-style spaghetti. This comforting combination is popular enough to appear on holiday menus at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Growing up on the West Coast, I had never heard of this pairing until I met Marrekus. Now it’s a household favorite and part of our regular rotation. If you’re wondering whether fried fish and spaghetti work together — they absolutely do.

Ingredients

• Neutral oil (canola, vegetable, etc.)
• Smoked sausage (beef, andouille, or similar)
• Unsalted butter
• White onion (or 2 small yellow onions)
• Green bell pepper, diced
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• Ground beef, 80/20
• Spaghetti seasoning (store-bought packet or homemade mix)
• Tomato paste
• Pasta sauce
• Water
• White sugar
• Spaghetti pasta

Fried Fish

• Catfish fillets (or preferred mild white fish)
• Yellow cornmeal
• Old Bay seasoning
• Lemon pepper seasoning
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• Granulated garlic
• Yellow mustard
• Hot sauce
• Neutral oil for deep frying (canola, vegetable, etc.)

Note: For extra flavor, you can brine the fish briefly in a mixture of kosher salt, sugar, water, and ice before coating and frying. This step is optional — the recipe is delicious without brining.

Spaghetti Recipe

1. Brown sausage and sauté vegetables: Heat 1½ tablespoons neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear sliced smoked sausage until browned, then remove and set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in the same skillet. Add diced onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic, salt, and black pepper and sauté 1 more minute.
3. Add ground beef and make the sauce: Add 1 pound ground beef and break it into small pieces as it browns, about 4–6 minutes.
4. Stir in 2 teaspoons spaghetti seasoning, 6 ounces tomato paste, 24 ounces pasta sauce, and 1½ cups water. Return the smoked sausage to the pan, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Cook pasta and finish: Cook 1 pound spaghetti according to package directions. Stir 2 teaspoons white sugar into the sauce to balance acidity. Toss the cooked pasta with the meat sauce until evenly coated. Serve alongside the fried catfish.

Fried Catfish

Trim and clean catfish fillets before cooking. If desired, remove the fatty strip and cut the fillets into portions for even frying.

1. Prepare cornmeal dredge: In a shallow bowl, combine 1½ cups yellow cornmeal, 2 teaspoons Old Bay, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, ⅓ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅓ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ⅓ teaspoon granulated garlic. Set aside.
2. Coat with mustard and hot sauce: Spread yellow mustard over the fillets and add a splash of hot sauce. Toss to coat the fish evenly; the mustard helps the cornmeal stick and adds flavor.
3. Dredge and fry: Heat oil for deep frying to 350°F (175°C). Dredge the fillets in the cornmeal mixture, pressing lightly to adhere. Fry in batches for about 3–4 minutes per side or until the fish flakes easily and reaches 145°F (63°C). Drain on a wire rack over paper towels and rest 5 minutes before serving.

What to Serve with Fish and Spaghetti

Classic accompaniments include white bread and hot sauce. You can also serve cornbread and collard greens for a more traditional soul food spread. These sides add texture and complementary flavors to the rich, savory spaghetti and crisp fried fish.

• Collard Greens: Slow-simmered greens with smoked ham hocks, onions, seasonings, and a touch of heat.
• Cornbread: Moist, tender cornbread pairs well with the saucy spaghetti and fried fish.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Choose quality pasta: Durum wheat semolina pasta holds texture best for this dish.
• Salt the pasta water: Add enough salt so the water tastes like seawater — it seasons the pasta from the inside out.
• Reserve pasta water: Save a cup of starchy cooking water to adjust sauce consistency if needed.
• Cook al dente: Aim for a slight bite; the pasta will finish cooking when tossed with the sauce.
• Toss thoroughly: Mix spaghetti and sauce well so every strand is coated. Add reserved pasta water if the sauce needs loosening.
• Garnish: Finish with freshly grated Parmesan or a sprinkle of chopped parsley for brightness.
• Serve hot: Spaghetti is best served immediately alongside hot, freshly fried fish.

Origins and Notes

The pairing of fried fish and spaghetti is rooted in Southern American foodways, where pasta often appears as a side dish served with fried proteins. Variations exist across the South, and the combination reflects regional traditions of hearty, flavorful comfort food.

Why sugar is sometimes added to spaghetti

A small amount of sugar is often added to spaghetti sauce to balance the acidity of tomatoes. Even though tomato products contain natural sugars, a teaspoon or two can round out flavors and reduce sharpness in the sauce.

About spaghetti seasoning

Spaghetti seasoning typically blends onion, garlic, tomato powder, paprika, and other aromatics to create a flavorful base when combined with tomato paste and water. Using a store-bought seasoning packet is a convenient shortcut for a robust, familiar flavor in soul food-style spaghetti.

Recipe

Ingredients (condensed)

• Neutral oil, smoked sausage, unsalted butter, onion, green pepper, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, ground beef
• Spaghetti seasoning, tomato paste, pasta sauce, water, sugar, spaghetti pasta
• Catfish fillets, yellow cornmeal, Old Bay, lemon pepper, granulated garlic, yellow mustard, hot sauce, oil for frying

Instructions (condensed)

1. Brown smoked sausage in oil, remove, then sauté onion and pepper in butter and drippings. Add garlic, salt, and pepper.
2. Brown the ground beef, then stir in spaghetti seasoning, tomato paste, pasta sauce, and water. Return sausage and simmer 10 minutes. Add sugar, taste, and adjust.
3. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; toss with the meat sauce and reserved pasta water if needed.
4. For the fish: mix cornmeal and seasonings. Coat fillets with mustard and hot sauce, dredge in the cornmeal mix, and deep-fry at 350°F until golden and cooked through. Drain and rest briefly.
5. Serve hot: plate spaghetti with fried catfish and enjoy with white bread, hot sauce, cornbread, or collard greens as desired.

Nutrition (per serving, approximate)

• Calories: 768 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 79 g • Protein: 52 g • Fat: 27 g
• Sodium and other micronutrients will vary depending on brands and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe? Leave a note about how it turned out and any personal variations you added. This combination is flexible and welcomes small regional tweaks to suit your family’s taste.