Greek Spaghetti Bolognese (Makaronia Me Kima)

4.32 from 32 votes

Greek Spaghetti Bolognese (Makaronia Me Kima)

Greek Bolognese is thick, glossy, and deeply flavored. Infused with warm spices like cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, making it extra cozy and absolutely irresistable!

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, International

Keyword: Dinner, pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 926kcal

Ingredients

olive oil
1 large onion minced (about 200 grams)
500 grams (1.1 pounds) ground beef or half ground beef & half ground pork
3 tablespoons tomato paste
60 ml sweet red wine
500 grams (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) crushed tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves crushed
1 teaspoon ground allspice or 5-6 allspice berries
¼ teaspoon ground cloves or 4-5 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 small stick of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2-3 small sprigs fresh thyme
coarse sea salt
ground pepper
500 ml (2 cups) hot water or stock
500 grams dried spaghetti cooked according to package instructions
Greek Kefalotyri, or Parmesan, or Pecorino cheese to serve with

Instructions

Heat a good splash of olive oil in a saute pan.
Add the onion with a pinch of salt, and saute over moderate heat until almost caramelized.
Add the ground meat. Raise the heat to high. Season with coarse sea salt and ground pepper. Cook the meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan.
Add the crushed tomatoes (see notes below), bay leaf, thyme, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon stick.
Pour in the hot water or stock.
Simmer over low heat, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Raise the heat a bit, taste the sauce to see if it needs additional seasoning. Cook it uncovered until it thickens.
Serve with spaghetti or your favorite pasta accompanied by Greek Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese.

Notes

-Instead of crushed tomatoes, you can use whole canned tomatoes and pulse them in a food processor or blender.

Nutrition