Filled with fragrant, aromatic spices - "makaronia me kima" (Greek spaghetti with meat sauce) is a delicious and traditional Greek recipe that you can whip up in under an hour. Favoured by adults and children, this Greek pasta dish is a taste sensation.
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What is makaronia me kima?
The direct translation of "makaronia me kima" is spaghetti with ground meat. "Makaronia" means spaghetti, "kima" means ground meat and is often compared to spaghetti Bolognese (think of it as a Greek Bolognese). However, the Greek-style meat sauce made for this traditional Greek dish is much thicker - similar to chilli. In addition, it has a distinct aroma of cinnamon and other spices.
Why this recipe works
- It's easy to make and is perfect for a weeknight meal.
- It's traditional - this recipe I learnt from my mother and similar to her homemade spanakopita - is a guaranteed winner!
- It freezes well. Make a big batch, freeze the meat sauce in portions and dinner is served on those nights you don't have time to make anything from scratch!
- It's child friendly - kids will especially love this Greek spaghetti dish!
Ingredients
- Olive Oil - As always, I'm using extra virgin olive oil for Greek recipes.
- Onion - I'm using a medium brown onion in this recipe. Red or white onions will work too.
- Garlic - A few garlic cloves are necessary!
- Ground Beef - I'm using lean ground beef; however, feel free to use an equal portion of ground pork and beef for a little extra fat and flavour.
- Red Wine - Red wine provides an added bump of flavour. Substituting with white wine is perfectly acceptable too.
- Tomatoes - I'm using a can of tomatoes for the tomato sauce. You can also use passata or fresh tomatoes if you prefer. (grate the fresh tomatoes for best results and discard the skin).
- Tomato Paste - provides added richness.
- Cinnamon - This is a must! Don't omit the ground cinnamon - this dish's signature spice. Feel free to use a cinnamon stick instead for a more pronounced flavour.
- Cloves & Allspice - (optional) Use a pinch of ground cloves and ground allspice - this complements the cinnamon beautifully.
- Stock (not pictured)- Add a little chicken stock or beef stock for added richness. Plain water or vegetable stock works fine as well.
- Spaghetti - Use spaghetti for the Greek version of this dish. However, feel free to use your favourite pasta such as fettuccine, penne or rigatoni.
- Seasonings - Use ground black pepper and salt as desired.
Optional Recipe Ingredients
Consider adding the following to enhance this dish - the options are additional and entirely optional.
- Top with freshly chopped parsley.
- Add a bay leaf to the sauce for extra flavour.
- A tablespoon of dried oregano will amplify the sauce.
- Add a chopped carrot and celery along with the onions and garlic.
How to make makaronia me kima
For the full makaronia me kima recipe - see the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
- Step 2: Add the ground meat and cook until browned.
- Step 3: Add the red wine and cook until it is absorbed.
- Step 4: Add the stock or water and stir well.
- Step 5: Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir until well incorporated.
- Step 6: Add the ground cinnamon and cloves if using and stir and allow the meat sauce to simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
- Step 7: Toss the spaghetti through the melted butter and add a little of the pasta water.
- Step 8: Serve the spaghetti with the meat sauce and plenty of grated cheese.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Greek style spaghetti with a Greek lettuce salad and some crusty Greek bread on the side.
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Storing - Reheating - Freezing
- Store - make plenty for leftovers (leftover Greek spaghetti sauce always tastes better the next day), and once the sauce has cooled, place it in the refrigerator.
- Reheating - reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop on low-medium heat.
- Freeze - portion the cooled meat sauce into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Then, allow to thaw and reheat in the microwave or the stovetop. You may need to add a little extra water if it's too thick.
Expert Tips
- Browning the ground meat - make sure to brown your ground beef well, as this will add much-needed extra flavour to the final greek meat sauce recipe.
- Cook your pasta correctly. I can't emphasise this enough! Cook the spaghetti until "al dente " - firm to the bite. Nobody likes overcooked spaghetti!
- Top with a traditional Greek cheese. You needed grated cheese to finish this dish! If you can get your hands on them, try topping the Greek spaghetti with either grated myzithra, Kefalogaviera or Kefalotyri cheese. Substitute with Parmesan cheese or Pecorino.
- Toss the spaghetti in butter or olive oil before topping it with the Greek meat sauce. It adds a lovely richness and adds extra flavour to the overall dish.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, substitute half or all of the amount of ground beef with ground turkey.
Of course! Use your favourite kind of pasta to enjoy this dish. The Greek meat sauce is the star of this dish.
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📖 Recipe
Makaronia Me Kima (Greek Spaghetti With a Meat Sauce)
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Conversions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 500 grams ground beef , lean preferred (see note 1)
- 120 ml red wine
- 250 ml beef stock
- 400 grams tomatoes, (freshly grated, tinned, passata)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, (see note 2)
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 500 grams spaghetti, or your favourite pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat and fry the onion and garlic until translucent.
- Add the ground meat and cook until browned. (see note 3)
- Add the red wine and cook until it has evaporated.
- Add the stock or water and stir well.
- Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir until well incorporated.
- Add the ground cinnamon and cloves if using, and allow the meat sauce to simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
- Cook the pasta per the package directions - drain and save a little of the pasta water. (see note 4)
- Heat a tablespoon of butter on high heat in the same pot you cooked the pasta. Toss the spaghetti through the melted butter and add a little of the pasta water - toss well to combine. (see note 5)
- Serve the Greek spaghetti with the meat sauce and plenty of grated cheese. (see note 6)
Peter's Tips →
- Feel free to use an equal portion of ground pork and beef for a little extra fat and flavour. For a low calorie version use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Feel free to use a cinnamon stick instead for a more pronounced flavour - make sure to remove it before serving!
- Browning the ground meat - make sure to brown your ground beef well, as this will add much-needed extra flavour to the final finished dish.
- Cook your pasta correctly. I can't emphasise this enough! Cook the spaghetti until "al dente " - firm to the bite. Nobody likes overcooked Greek-style spaghetti!
- Toss the spaghetti in butter or olive oil before topping it with the Greek meat sauce. It adds a lovely richness and adds extra flavour to the overall dish.
- Top with a traditional Greek cheese. You needed grated cheese to finish this dish! If you can get your hands on them, try topping the Greek spaghetti with either grated myzithra, Kefalogaviera or Kefalotyri cheese. Substitute with Parmesan cheese or Pecorino.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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Ingrid says
I made this recipe today and we all loved it. I used vegan ‘minced meat’ which worked very well. Thanks for the inspiration.
Peter G says
Thank you for that! I shall pass this on to my vegan friends. Cheers!