Why this recipe sings

• Few meals are as satisfying as good pasta with meat sauce. This is an authentic makaronia me kima recipe (Greek spaghetti with meat sauce).
• Combining the hearty meat sauce with the tender spaghetti is a classic and comforting pairing. However, feel free to use your favorite pasta shape.
• Using herbs and spices, such as dried oregano, cinnamon and nutmeg, adds depth of flavor to the dish.
• Makaronia me kima is a crowd-pleasing economical meal perfect for a family dinner or entertaining guests.

Here is what you need

• Ground meat. My favorite is grass-fed organic ground beef. I simmer the veggies for a while and start browning the ground beef, and instead of milk that classic Italian bolognese has, I add a glass of red wine.
• Seasonings and herbs. My beloved Greek oregano, bay leaf, cloves, nutmeg, a cinnamon stick, and fresh thyme when available.
• Red wine. I always use a wine that I would enjoy drinking. There are many reasonably priced cabernets or chiantis that are perfectly good for both drinking and cooking.
• Good-quality canned tomatoes. Being Greek, born and raised, I am spoiled with the amazing tomatoes available in Greece. Since I can’t find the same in Hoboken, I always get San Marzano tomatoes D.O.P. for excellent flavor. If you can’t find Italian tomatoes, don’t despair! Use what is available. Because supermarket-canned tomatoes can be acidic, I add a little sugar to the sauce; a teaspoon should be enough to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes and transform it.
• Spaghetti. Or your favorite pasta. This sauce is great with short-cut pasta as well as linguini and pappardelle.

How to make Greek spaghetti meat sauce

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat. Break the meat with a wooden spoon to avoid large chunks. Brown the ground meat all over.

Add the diced onion and garlic—season with a pinch of salt. Stir and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add 2 tbsp of tomato paste, season with sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and a generous pinch of dry oregano. Add the bay leaf, cloves, and nutmeg.

Keep sautéing while stirring for 2-3 min and let flavors develop.

Add the wine. Increase heat to high to let the alcohol evaporate for 1-2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes. Fill one of the tomato cans with water or chicken broth and add it to the sauce. Lower heat and simmer meat sauce for 2 hours, occasionally breaking down the tomatoes and stirring. When the sauce is ready, adjust sea salt and pepper to taste.

Tips and tricks

• My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is tossed with thin spaghetti.
• Occasionally, I will use fat macaroni pasta, usually used for the traditional pastitsio dish, the famous baked pasta casserole.
• Pappardelle and fettuccine would be excellent to capture the delicious sauce.
• For cheese choices, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is always an excellent option.
• In Greece, kefalotyri cheese is the most commonly grated over spaghetti. Its flavor resembles pecorino romano. Dry mizithra, a cheese similar to ricotta salata, is also common over pasta, especially in Crete.
• You can use equal parts of ground beef and pork, just ground pork, or mix ground beef with ground hot Italian sausage. If you like ground lamb, you are welcome to use it. A nice variation is to saute some pancetta pieces or bacon with the onions for a zesty flavor to the sauce.

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