Simple, easy and delicious are the words that come to mind when preparing this recipe for Pasta with Greek Meat Sauce (Makaronia Me Kima). Using nutritious ingredients and combining them with warm aromatic spices makes this dish a winning combination of flavors!
The ground meat is sauteed in olive oil, onions and garlic and simmered in a rich tomato sauce of herbs, spices and wine. Similar to an Italian bolognese, the Greek version includes warmer spices like cinnamon and allspice, which lends the sauce a richer flavor. Additionally, the Greek version adds just a touch of fresh mint, as opposed to the Italian version which uses basil. Unlike your typical spaghetti sauce, Greek-style meat sauce is thicker, almost like a chili consistency. Not passing any judgment here, but you may be tempted to eat a spoonful right out of the pan! So if you’re ready, let’s get started on our Pasta with Greek Meat Sauce (Makaronia Me Kima)!
List of Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 lb Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Tsp Dried Parsley
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 28 Ounce Can Pureed Tomatoes (No Salt)
- 1 Tbsp Oregano
- 1 Tsp Sugar
- ½ Tsp Allspice
- ½ Tsp Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp Ground Cloves
- 3 leaves fresh mint, chopped
- ¼ Tsp Pepper
- ½ cup Red Wine
- ½ cup Fresh Parsley chopped
- Pasta
- Grated Cheese Mizithra or Kefalotyri
How to Prepare Pasta with Greek Meat Sauce (Makaronia Me Kima)
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring frequently and pressing down on the meat with the edge of a large spoon until meat is broken into small pieces. Continue to cook the meat until it is no longer pink. Mix in the dried parsley.
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Stir in tomato paste. pureed tomatoes, oregano, sugar, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, mint and pepper. Mix thoroughly and add in the wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for one hour. Your home will begin to fill with the warm fragrances of spices that will have you salivating. If the sauce becomes too thick during cooking, stir in a couple tablespoons of water. While simmering, stir occasionally, until just a little liquid remains. Add parsley and stir well. About 10 minutes before the sauce is done, cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Serve the pasta topped with sauce, chopped parsley and grated cheese.
A Few Tips
It goes without saying that making the sauce from scratch instead of using a jarred sauce makes all the difference in the taste. Also, by making your own sauce, you can eliminate the unwanted salt found in most jarred sauces. Now THAT is heart-healthy!
Our recipe calls for extra lean ground beef, but traditionally this recipe can be made with ground lamb or pork. We haven’t tried it yet, but we may experiment with using ground turkey breast too.
If you are unable to find Mizithra or Kefalotyri cheese, substitute with Parmesan or Pecorino Romano.
The simmer time of this recipe is key. The flavors will become richer when you allow the sauce to simmer for the entire hour. We love the sauce the next day too—don’t you find that some dishes just taste better the next day?! This is definitely one of those dishes!
Don’t be shy, make a double batch as this sauce freezes really well. It’s perfect for that busy weeknight meal, when you only have enough time to boil some pasta.
To round out the meal, serve the Pasta with Greek Meat Sauce (Makaronia Me Kima) along with a traditional Horatiki Salad for a true authentic Greek dining experience. Opa!
Have you made this recipe? We’d love to hear from you so leave a comment below! If you make this recipe and share it on Instagram be sure to tag #hearthealthygreek. And never miss a new recipe by subscribing to our mailing list!
Pasta with Greek Meat Sauce (Makaronia Me Kima)
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 28 ounce can pureed tomatoes No salt addes
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 3 leaves fresh mint chopped
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 lb pasta
- mizithra or kefalotyri cheese grated
Instructions
- In a large saucepan heat olive oil in a pan.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat stirring occasionally until softened.
- Add the ground meat and cook, stirring frequently and pressing down on the meat with the back of a large spoon, until meat is broken into small pieces.
- Continue to cook the meat until it is no longer pink.
- Mix in the dried parsley.
- Stir in the tomato paste, pureed tomatoes, oregano, sugar, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, mint and pepper.
- Mix thoroughly and add in the wine.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for one hour. If the sauce becomes too thick during cooking, stir in a couple tablespoons of water. Stir occasionally, until just a little liquid remains.
- Stir in the parsley.
- About 10 minutes before the sauce is done, cook your pasta according to the package directions.
- Serve the pasta topped with the meat sauce, chopped parsley and grated cheese.
