Makaronia Me Kima Recipe: A Greek Spaghetti Bolognese

Makaronia me kima (Greek pasta bolognese) served in two bowls with chopped parsley.

Makaronia Me Kima Recipe: A Greek Spaghetti Bolognese

Not all pasta dishes are Italian; many countries around the world have adopted pasta as their own and made beautiful things with it. Makaronia me Kima is a Greek "spaghetti bolognese", if you want familiarity. My version is a beautifully simple minced beef ragu with red wine and tomatoes flavoured with allspice, cinnamon, thyme and oregano.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Anglo Greek

Keyword greek bolognese sauce, greek spaghetti bolognese, macaronia me kima, makaronia me kima

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 5

Servings Servings

Calories 926kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

350 g Minced Beef 12oz (between 5&10% fat)
1 Medium Onion 150g
1 Small Carrot 75g
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 teaspoon Fresh Oregano
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
175 ml Red Wine ¾ Cup
10 cm Cinnamon Bark 4"
225 g Tin Chopped Tomatoes 8oz
10 g Honey ½ Tbsp
175 ml Beef Stock ¾ Cup
¼ teaspoon Ground Allspice
½ teaspoon Salt (plus extra to boil the pasta)
⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
200 g Dried Spaghetti

Instructions

Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 3-4mm (⅛") dice.
Grate the carrot on the coarse side of a box grater.
Peel and finely dice the garlic cloves.
Roughly chop the oregano leaves.
Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a high heat; when it is hot, add the olive and then fry the beef until well browned.

Spread the beef over a single layer in the pan, and allow it to sit for a few minutes before you start stirring it.

This will take 7-8 minutes in total.

Add the salt and pepper, onions, garlic and grated carrot; reduce the heat to medium, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes or so.
Add the tomato puree and cook for 90 seconds, stirring constantly.
Throw in the cinnamon and pour in the red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until most of it has evaporated.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over a medium "bubble" until the sauce has reduced.

This will take around 30 minutes.

10 minutes before your sauce is ready, cook your spaghetti in well-salted boiling water. I use 1½ teaspoons of salt and a 20cm or 8" saucepan.
Mix the cooked spaghetti through the sauce, adding 4-5 tablespoons of the cooking water to get a silky smooth coating on the pasta.

Remove the cinnamon and thyme sprigs before adding the pasta.

Video

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