“Makaronia me Kima” (Greek spaghetti with meat sauce) is one of my favorite comfort foods. This incredibly popular recipe is the Greek version of spaghetti Bolognese, a rich ground beef and tomato sauce served over pasta.
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Every time we visit my family in Greece my mum has four bowls of spaghetti and meat sauce (makaronia me kima) waiting for us. My kids love it as much as I did when I was little – we had it at least once a week!
This rich meat sauce is usually served over pasta but it can also be used to make Pastitsio and Lasagna or used to top baked eggplant.
Grocery list for Greek Meat Sauce (kimas)
I have switched up my mum’s recipe a little bit but it tastes just as delicious! Here’s what you will need:
- Butter
- Onion and garlic
- Peeled plum tomatoes (canned San Marzano tomatoes) or grated fresh tomatoes
- Salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, allspice berries and ground cloves
- White wine plus vegetable stock (bouillon powder or a stock cube)
- Ground beef
- Olive oil
- Parlsey, to serve
How to make Greek Spaghetti Meat Sauce
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Heat the butter in a Dutch Oven over medium heat until it starts foaming. Once the butter starts turning brown, add the garlic and onions, cut side down.
Add the canned tomatoes (be careful as they are likely to spatter and sizzle when they hit the hot pan). Break them up with the back of a spoon and stir in the salt, sugar, pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, allspice berries and ground cloves.
Pour the wine into the sauce and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot tightly and cook for 20-25 minutes.
Stir in the ground beef and break it up with your spoon.
Stir in the olive oil and the vegetable stock, bring the sauce back to a simmer, partially cover the pot and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Serve over spaghetti with grated Parmesan or Kefalotyri cheese and some chopped parsley. Pair with my Greek Bread (Horiatiko Psomi) or Dough Balls With Garlic Butter and red wine.
RECIPE TIPS
- This ground beef sauce recipe is suitable for freezing. I usually make a big batch, divide it into portion sizes and freeze it so that we always have a kid-friendly meal on stand by.
- If you don’t want to blend the sauce then you can use finely grated onion and crushed tomatoes.
- If the sauce is a little watery you can continue to cook it for a bit longer until it has reduced.
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Greek spaghetti with meat sauce
Ingredients
For the sauce
- ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 onion , peeled and quartered
- 14 oz (400g) canned plum tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp sugar , more if needed
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 3 allspice berries
- pinch ground cloves
- ½ cup (120ml) white wine
- 2 cups (480ml) vegetable or chicken stock from a cube is fine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
To serve
- cooked spaghetti or any type of pasta
- Grated parmesan
- flat leaf parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a Dutch Oven over medium heat until it starts foaming. Once the butter starts turning brown, add the garlic and onions, cut side down.
- Add the canned tomatoes (be careful as they are likely to spatter and sizzle when they hit the hot pan).
- Break them up with the back of a spoon and stir in the salt, sugar, pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, allspice berries and ground cloves.
- Pour the wine into the sauce and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot tightly and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and allspice berries. Blitz the sauce with an immersion blender.
- Stir in the ground beef and break it up with your spoon. Add the olive oil and stock, bring the sauce back to a simmer, partially cover the pot and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Serve over spaghetti with grated Parmesan or Kefalotyri cheese.
Video
Notes
- This ground beef sauce recipe is suitable for freezing. I usually make a big batch, divide it into portion sizes and freeze it so that we always have a kid-friendly meal on stand by.
- If you don’t want to blend the sauce then you can use finely grated onion and crushed tomatoes.
- If the sauce is a little watery you can continue to cook it for a bit longer until it has reduced.
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