Makaronia Me Kima (Greek Spaghetti with Meat Sauce)
A recipe for Makaronia Me Kima (Greek Spaghetti with Meat Sauce)! This flavorful meat sauce is packed with warming spices and served with pasta for a comforting meal.
Servings 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) olive oil preferably Greek
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 pound (450 grams) ground beef
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) red wine
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- Pinch ground cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 14.5 ounces (1 can, 411 grams) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) water
- 1/4 cup (8 grams) fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 pound (450 grams) dried spaghetti
- Grated cheese for garnish, mizithra or kefalotyri
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, drizzle the olive oil over medium heat.
- Once heated, add the onions and cook until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until browned.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits, and simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cinnamon, oregano, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, salt, pepper, crushed tomatoes, and water.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until just a little liquid remains, 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the liquid dries completely before 45 minutes, add a little more water.
- Immediately before serving, remove from heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the parsley.
- About 10 minutes before the sauce is done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, just tender.
- Drain and serve immediately topped with the meat sauce and freshly grated cheese.