The Ultimate Greek Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Recipe-Makaronia me Kima

This Greek pasta dish is bursting with flavor: Classic Greek Spaghetti with Meat Sauce is made with luscious ground beef and tomato sauce, along with cheese-coated spaghetti.

This dish of Greek spaghetti with meat sauce is known as Makaronia me kima in Greek. This dish is a favorite among most Greeks, adults, and children alike. Nobody can resist makaronia me kima, especially its homemade version. Everybody’s yiayia makes the best one! The secret in this family recipe, is not only in the sauce but the way the pasta is prepared. It is not just boiled, instead it is layered in a casserole dish coated with cheese and warm olive oil. It is so good, even without the sauce. Today I’m sharing with you my mother’s famous recipe step by step!

Some may call it a Greek Bolognese, and although there are some similarities with Spaghetti Bolognese there are also a few key differences: the ground beef sauce has a bit of a different preparation from the typical Italian version; the Greek version is flavored with spices such as cinnamon, allspice and cloves whereas the Italian sauce is not. In addition, the Italian Bolognese also contains celery, carrot, and pork whereas the Greek sauce does not. Finally, in this yummy Greek version, the spaghetti is prepared Greek-style layered and coated with grated cheese. The result is rich, comforting and so good!

Obviously, this is a special occasion food, but it also can be consumed in smaller portions during the week with a large salad.

Best Tips to Make Greek Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

1. Make sure the beef has some fat in it, if it is too lean it will not have the texture or flavor we are looking for here.
2. DO use the spices. While they may seem like a small part of the recipe, they impart the characteristic flavor of the Greek Meat Pasta Sauce. Do not use ground cinnamon in the sauce, it will be too harsh, only use a cinnamon stick.
3. The best cheese to use here is dry mizithra. It is an aged sheep’s milk cheese that is very flavorful. You can find in ethnic markets. If you cannot find it, the next best choice would be Pecorino cheese, which is a hard Italian cheese also made from sheep’s milk.
4. The pasta here is prepared Greek style. It is cooked a bit more than the Italians (so not exactly al dente) and then it is prepared in a casserole dish. You can just boil and strain, but this particular preparation of layering it with cheese is what really makes it an amazing dish.

How to make Greek Spaghetti with Meat sauce – Makaronia me Kima

Start by making the sauce. In a medium size pot, add about ⅓-½ cup extra virgin olive oil, at medium heat and once the oil starts to shimmer, add the onion, cloves, allspice, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Sauté until translucent. Add the garlic halves and sauté 1 more minute.

Add the tomato paste and swirl with a wooden spoon, heating well. Add the ground beef, pressing it with a fork and heat until, it is crumbly and no longer red. Add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp fine sea salt. ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sugar and 1 cup hot water, stir well. Lower heat and simmer for about an hour, checking water levels and adding a bit of hot water as needed. Once ready, remove from heat, remove cinnamon stick, bay leaves and set aside.

Boil pasta according to directions. Once pasta is ready, strain and add 1 tbsp olive oil and stir.

In a large casserole dish spread half the pasta, sprinkle over the pasta 2 tbsp grated cheese, place a second layer of pasta and sprinkle 2 more tbsp of grated cheese. Sprinkle over some ground cinnamon. Set aside.

In a little pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil until it starts to shimmer. Remove from heat and drizzle over pasta.

To serve: Serve pasta in a dish and spoon over the meat sauce.

Make Ahead and Storage

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it 1-2 days ahead and reheat when ready to serve. To warm up the pasta preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C). Cover the pasta with aluminum foil and place in the oven for about 10 minutes, until pasta is warm.

To reheat the sauce place in a pot over low heat and slowly warm up until it almost comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Store in the refrigerator separately for 3 days. You can also freeze the sauce and pasta separately for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before re-heating it.

What do you serve with Greek Spaghetti with Meat Sauce?

As it is a rich pasta dish, the ideal accompaniment is a refreshing salad. This classic home-cooked dish is traditionally served with the famous Greek salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers. However, any type of simple tomato-based salad will work too! Here are some favorite salads to pair with this savory spaghetti dish:

• 5-Ingredient Mediterranean Salad
• The Best Authentic Greek Salad
• Summer Spanish Salad – Pipirrana
• Greek Island Summer Salad

You may also like these recipes

• Mama’s Greek Cheesy Spaghetti
• Greek Style Baked Macaroni and (Feta) Cheese
• Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
• Pasta with Capers, Garlic and Toasted Breadcrumbs
• Cherry Tomato Basil Mozzarella Pasta

Photos by Elena Paravantes All Rights Reserved