Greek Spaghetti with a Simple Meat Sauce (Makaronia me Kima)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A delicious, weeknight comfort Greek dish, with a very flavorful meat sauce. A simple, but very popular Greek recipe!
Author:
Recipe type: Pasta
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-3 TBSP. tomato paste
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 2 small sticks of cinnamon
  • 2 small bay leaves
  • 1 can (14 oz.) crushed tomatoes or tomato purée (passata)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 oz. thick-style spaghetti
  • 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
  • freshly ground cheese (such as Kefalotyri, or, Pecorino Romano)
Instructions
  1. Place a large, deep skillet over high heat. Once it is hot, heat the olive oil, stir in the onion, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another minute or so, and then stir in the tomato paste.
  2. Once the tomato paste caramelizes, add the ground beef and sauté it until lightly brown. If you are using wine, pour it in the skillet and continue cooking for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
  3. Stir in the cinnamon sticks and the bay leaves, then add the crushed tomatoes and the water. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper and stir well.
  4. Bring the meat sauce to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes or until it becomes nice and thick (or, the way you like it), stirring occasionally. If it needs a little more water add some hot water a little at a time. If it is still not thick enough, cook it for a few minutes more.
  5. Meanwhile, bring a pot full of water to a rolling boil. Salt it very generously and stir in the spaghetti.
  6. Cook the pasta until "al dente", this usually takes much less time than the box instructions. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  7. When the sauce is ready, taste it one more time and adjust the seasoning.
  8. To serve, place a small amount of spaghetti on a warm plate and sprinkle with some of the grated cheese. Top with another small amount of spaghetti and pour some meat sauce on top. Finally, top the meat sauce with a generous amount of grated cheese and serve at once.
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/greek-spaghetti-with-meat-sauce-makaronia-me-kima/