Cincinnati chili may seem like a head-scratcher of a dish: Is it a chili or is it a pasta? The answer is both. This iconic combination of spaghetti topped with a hearty, spiced chili, and oftentimes a pile of brightly colored, shredded cheddar cheese, hails from the Midwest. It may seem sacrilegious to those with other notions of chili, but this is definitely worth a try. Plus, it makes for a quick and filling weeknight dinner.
What Is Cincinnati Chili?
Cincinnati chili was created in immigrant restaurants in the Midwest in the 1920s. It’s ground beef simmered in a sauce filled with Mediterranean spices. There are two key ingredients in Cincinnati chili that differentiate it from other kinds of chili: ground cinnamon and dark chocolate. The final chili is more sauce-like in texture, and not as thick as a chili normally eaten with a spoon. It’s similar to Greek pasta sauces or the type of chili that’s served on chili dogs.Cincinnati chili is often served layered in an oval dish: cooked spaghetti, chili, and optional toppings of shredded cheddar cheese, kidney or chili beans, and minced onion.
