1hHunter x Hunter
Hunter Exam Glazed Meatballs
Comfort Food Mains · Easy
Greed Island Giant Spaghetti Bolognese
- Prep
- 20m
- Cook
- 45m
- Total
- 1h 5m
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Gon and Killua's Greed Island run hits peak absurdity in Antokiba — the city of prizes — when a cat-themed restaurant dares them to finish a colossal plate of spaghetti buried under meat-and-mushroom bolognese in under 30 minutes. Win, and the prize is spell card Galgaida (No. 261).
Episode 61 of the 2011 anime (1999 series Episode 74; manga Chapter 129) frames the dish as a cartoon mountain: pale noodles stacked high, rust-red ragù poured over the top so it cascades down the sides, mushroom caps peeking through. This home recipe chases that silhouette, not the impossible volume.
Simmer the ragù in an enameled Dutch oven while spaghetti boils separately — you plate a tall nest of noodles first, then ladle thick bolognese on top so the contrast matches the screen.
Ingredients
Recipe ingredients
- Ground beefKey1 lb (450 g)
- Dried spaghettiKey12 oz (340 g)
- 4 oz (115 g)
- Fresh flat-leaf parsleyKey¼ cup
finely chopped garnish — buy fresh for plating
Pantry staples
Salt, oil, butter, and other basics you likely already have — scaled with servings above.
- Crushed tomatoes (whole peeled, hand-crushed)1 can (14 oz / 400 g)
- Beef stock (or bouillon) · low-sodium1 cup (240 ml)
- Yellow onion · finely diced1 medium
- Carrot · finely diced1 medium
- Garlic · minced3 cloves
- Neutral oil · ragù2 tbsp
- Unsalted butter · toss spaghetti off heat1 tbsp
- Kosher saltto taste
- Black pepperto taste
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Instructions
- 1
Brown the beef and set aside
Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in an enameled Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 1 lb (450 g) ground beef, break it up, and cook 6–8 minutes until deeply browned and the released liquid has fully evaporated — you want a dry, sizzling pan and fond on the bottom, not gray steamed meat. Transfer the beef to a bowl with a slotted spoon; leave the fat in the pot.
- 2
Soffritto and shiitake (no garlic yet)
Lower heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp neutral oil if the pot looks dry. Add 1 medium onion and 1 medium carrot, both fine-chopped, plus 4 oz (115 g) sliced shiitake mushrooms. Cook 10–12 minutes, stirring, until softened and the mushrooms color at the edges. Push the vegetables to the sides, make a clear space in the center, and add 3 minced garlic cloves; cook 45 seconds until fragrant, then stir through the vegetables.
- 3
Simmer the ragù
Return the browned beef and any juices to the pot. Pour in 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) canned crushed tomatoes (or passata) and 1 cup (240 ml) beef stock. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Reduce heat to a gentle bubble and simmer uncovered 30–40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the ragù is thick enough that a spoon leaves a clear trail. Splash in more beef stock only if it threatens to scorch before thickening.
- 4
Boil the spaghetti
While the ragù simmers, bring a large pot of well-salted boiling liquid to a rolling boil. Cook 12 oz (340 g) dried spaghetti until al dente (usually 1 minute less than the package). Reserve ½ cup starchy cooking liquid, then drain — do not combine with the ragù yet.
- 5
Lustre the noodles
Off heat, toss the drained spaghetti with 1 tbsp unsalted butter and 2–3 tbsp starchy cooking liquid until the strands stay silky and separate — blond pasta for the mound, not red mixed-in noodles.
- 6
Build the anime mound
Twirl portions of spaghetti with tongs into a small bowl or ring mold, then invert onto warm plates to form a tall dome. Ladle the thick ragù generously over each peak so it flows down the sides like Episode 61 — mushrooms visible in the ragù, pasta still pale underneath.
- 7
Garnish and serve
Scatter ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley over the top and serve immediately while the mound holds its height.
Pro tips
Brown the beef first and set it aside — wet beef on top of soft vegetables steams instead of searing, and garlic added too early burns during the long brown. Use canned crushed tomatoes or passata (not calcium-set canned cubes) so the ragù stays thick and napping. Keep spaghetti off the ragù until plating: toss with butter and starchy cooking liquid, twirl into a dome, ladle ragù on top. Buy the fresh herb garnish in the Key list the same day you cook.
Storage & leftovers
Ragù alone keeps 4 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen. Cooked spaghetti tightens when stored — reheat ragù gently and boil fresh noodles for leftovers. Add the herb garnish only when serving.
What to serve with
Crusty bread to swipe ragù, or a simple side salad. For another Hunter x Hunter plate from a different arc, try our Hunter Exam glazed meatballs — airship cafeteria, not Antokiba.
Equipment
All kitchen equipment guidesFAQ
The Antokiba restaurant challenge is Episode 61 in the 2011 anime (Episode 74 in the 1999 series). The reward is spell card Galgaida (No. 261). Manga readers will find the beat in Chapter 129.
