Greek Spaghetti with Meat Sauce-Makaronia me Kima

Here is what you need

• Ground meat. My favorite is grass-fed organic ground beef. I sauté the vegetables until soft and fragrant, then brown the beef slowly. Instead of milk, like in a classic Italian Bolognese, I add a generous glass of red wine for depth and richness.
• Seasonings and herbs. My beloved Greek oregano, a bay leaf, a few cloves, nutmeg, a cinnamon stick, and fresh thyme when available. These are the heart of the sauce — warming, aromatic, and distinctly Greek.
• Red wine. Always use a wine you’d enjoy drinking. A reasonably priced Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti works beautifully — rich enough to flavor the sauce without overpowering it.
• Good-quality canned tomatoes. Being Greek, born and raised, I’m spoiled by the incredible tomatoes back home. Since I can’t find the same in Hoboken, I always use San Marzano tomatoes D.O.P. for their excellent flavor. If you can’t find Italian tomatoes, don’t worry — use the best available to you. Because some canned tomatoes can be a little acidic, I add a teaspoon of sugar to bring out their natural sweetness and balance the sauce.
• Spaghetti. Traditionally, makaronia me kima is served with spaghetti, but the sauce is equally delicious with bucatini, linguine, or even short-cut pasta like penne or rigatoni.

Step by step

Step 1: Brown the meat and build flavor
Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and break it up with a wooden spoon to avoid large chunks. Cook until browned all over.

Step 2. Add the diced onion and garlic, season with a pinch of salt, and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, then season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a generous pinch of dried oregano. Add the bay leaf, cloves, and nutmeg. Keep sautéing for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, to let the flavors deepen and the spices bloom.

Step 3: Deglaze with wine
Pour in the wine and increase the heat to high. Stir and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook off and the sauce to absorb all that rich flavor.

Step 4: Simmer the sauce
Add the tomatoes and gently crush them with your spoon. Fill one of the empty tomato cans with water or chicken broth and pour it into the pan. Stir to combine, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

Let the meat sauce cook slowly for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking down the tomatoes as it thickens. When the sauce is rich and velvety, taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Serve hot, with your favorite pasta topped with freshly grated kefalotiri or Parmesan cheese — and don’t forget a drizzle of good olive oil for that final Greek touch.

Tips and tricks

• My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is tossed with thin spaghetti — simple, classic, and so satisfying.
• Occasionally, I’ll use fat macaroni pasta (the kind used in traditional pastitsio), which soaks up the sauce beautifully. Pappardelle and fettuccine are also excellent choices to capture every bit of that rich, meaty flavor.
• For cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano is always a perfect option. In Greece, kefalotyri is the most common choice — its sharp, salty flavor resembles pecorino romano. Dry mizithra, similar to ricotta salata, is also popular, especially in Crete.
• You can vary the meat to suit your taste — use equal parts ground beef and pork, or even a mix of beef with hot Italian sausage. Ground lamb also works beautifully, offering a bolder flavor. For a smoky twist, sauté a few pieces of pancetta or bacon with the onions before adding the meat.

More Greek-style pasta dishes

Shrimp Spaghetti-Garidomakaronada

Lemon Chicken Pasta

Tomato Garlic Spaghetti

Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce With Pesto