“Makaronia me kima” is one of the most popular dishes in Greece, served in every household in Greece on a weekly basis, as it is a very easy to make recipe and a favorite to both adults and children.
Makaronia me kima – The Greek version of spaghetti bolognese
To prepare a traditional Greek style spaghetti in meat sauce recipe (Makaronia me kima), luscious juicy beef mince (or lamb) are cooked in a tomato based sauce, along with red wine and meditteranian herbs and spices.. Simply irresistible!
With this step-by-step traditional recipe you can easily recreate this traditional delight from scratch! So go ahead, indulge yourself to this little sin..
Tip: If have any leftover meat sauce you can easily use it to make a small pan of Moussaka or Pastitsio.
Greek style spaghetti in meat sauce recipe – Prepare the meat sauce
The traditional Greek “makaronia me kima” recipe calls for either beef mince or a mix of lamb and beef. But if you can’t handle its strong flavour and prefer a lighter version try substituting with good quality beef or veal mince.
To prepare the meat sauce for this greek style spaghetti in meat sauce recipe, the ground beef is sautéed in olive oil, flavoured with onions and garlic and then simmered in red wine and tomato sauce. The aromatic herbs and spices used in the traditional recipe penetrate the meat and give a really characteristic taste and smell which permeates the house.
Tip: Let the sauce simmer for a while to allow the flavours to mingle.
Delicious recipes to serve with
“Makaronia me kima” is a dish that is as a main dish. You could serve with any kind of salad or side dish you like. Here is a list of my favourite recipes to serve with:
Makaronia me Kima (Greek style spaghetti in meat sauce recipe) – The Greek version of spaghetti bolognese – is one of the most popular dishes in Greece.
Ingredients
Scale
For the meat sauce
750g beef or lamb mince (26 ounces)
2 red onions (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 carrot, grated (optional)
1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g/ 14 oz.)
1/4 of a cup water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 glass of red wine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
a pinch of cinnamon or one cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1/4 of a cup olive oil
For the spaghetti
1 package spaghetti
salt
boiling water
2 tsps olive oil
200g Parmigiano-Reggiano or kefalograviera (7 ounces)
To prepare this Greek style spaghetti with meat sauce recipe (Makaronia me kima), begin by preparing the meat sauce. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onions and carrot and sauté, until softened and slightly coloured. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and the mince breaking it up with a wooden spoon and sauté, until caramelized. Pour in the red wine and deglaze (wait to evaporate). Add the tinned tomatoes, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated.
Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain the pasta in a collander and stir in 2tsp of olive oil.
Tip over the drained pasta in the meat sauce pan and mix it so the sauce is evenly spread.
Serve with grated cheese and a nice refreshing Greek feta salad and enjoy over a glass of wine!
This is same flavors as Perry’s hotdogs in Staunton va! I had a shop across the street and could smell that many of my customers had eaten lunch there! Secret squirrel recipe he had. He had the best chili dogs I have ever eaten. The layers of flavors is exactly the aroma one gets whiffs of! Yumbalicious. I like my dogs grilled or broiled in toaster oven instead of boiled . Perry’s dogs were cooked on a flat top.
Delicious! My go-to greek kima sauce recipe. The wine and cinnamon stick are key ingredients. I’m actually making the revithia soup now. I love your recipes 🙂 Thank you Eli and best wishes for 2023!
Over the past 8 years you have made My Greek Dish the number one destination for anyone searching for authentic Greek recipes! For that I cannot thank you enough!
It all started with an idea… To collate and publish all those recipes that I loved when I was young, the ones I made with so much love for my children and grand children!
So go ahead, explore my delicious collections and don’t forget to leave me a comment, connect with me on Facebook or Instagram and sign up to my mailing list so you never miss out on my latest creations!
(671 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)
Loading...
Trying this tonight. Hopefully it tastes like my mother’s kima.
Oeps Sygnomi…… i allready know the answer on my previous question about the two cloves…me being Dutch and just waking up????????
This is same flavors as Perry’s hotdogs in Staunton va! I had a shop across the street and could smell that many of my customers had eaten lunch there! Secret squirrel recipe he had. He had the best chili dogs I have ever eaten. The layers of flavors is exactly the aroma one gets whiffs of! Yumbalicious. I like my dogs grilled or broiled in toaster oven instead of boiled . Perry’s dogs were cooked on a flat top.
Delicious! My go-to greek kima sauce recipe. The wine and cinnamon stick are key ingredients. I’m actually making the revithia soup now. I love your recipes 🙂 Thank you Eli and best wishes for 2023!
Can red wine vinegar be used in place of dry red wine or is red wine best?
At which point do you add the meat?!