Entree: Greece – Athens & Attica – Μακαρόνια με κιμά ➤ Makaronia me kima (Greek pasta served with a cinnamon‑spiced ground meat tomato sauce, finished with grated cheese)
Serving Size: 4
Approximate Time
Prep
10 min
Cook
40 min
Total
50 min
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340 g) spaghetti or medium pasta (penne/macaroni)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups / 150 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tsp / 6 g)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine (optional)
- 14 oz (400 g) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) ground allspice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (4 g) sugar (to balance acidity)
- 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) black pepper, divided
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup (50 g) grated kefalotyri, pecorino, or Parmesan for serving
- Water and additional salt for cooking pasta
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions, reserve 1 cup (240 ml) pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
3. Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Brown, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains and some browning appears, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
4. If using, pour in the red wine and simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf, sugar, and 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, 15–20 minutes to develop flavor.
5. Remove the bay leaf; taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley. If the sauce is too thick, loosen with reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time.
6. Toss the cooked pasta with most of the meat sauce in the pan so the pasta is well coated, or plate pasta and spoon sauce on top. Sprinkle generously with grated kefalotyri or hard cheese and serve warm.
