5.0 from 6 votes
Greek spaghetti with meat sauce
“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.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 538 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Greek
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef (beef mince)
- 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.
Cup of Yum
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.
Nutrition Information
Calories
538kcal
(27%)
Carbohydrates
32g
(11%)
Protein
21g
(42%)
Fat
34g
(52%)
Saturated Fat
12g
(60%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
7g
Monounsaturated Fat
13g
Trans Fat
0.5g
Cholesterol
46mg
(15%)
Sodium
28928mg
(1205%)
Potassium
682mg
(19%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
25g
(50%)
Vitamin A
1190IU
(24%)
Vitamin C
18mg
(20%)
Calcium
255mg
(26%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 538
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 538kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 34g | 52% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 0.5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 46mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 28928mg | 1205% |
| Potassium | 682mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 25g | 50% |
| Vitamin A | 1190IU | 24% |
| Vitamin C | 18mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 255mg | 26% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.