Pasta with Meat Sauce (Greek Makaronia me Kima)

"Makaronia me kima" is one of the most popular dishes in Greece, served in every household on a weekly basis, as it is a very easy to make recipe and a favourite for both adults and children. To prepare a traditional Greek style spaghetti in meat sauce, luscious juicy beef mince or lamb are cooked in a tomato based sauce, along with red wine and meditteranian herbs and spices. And if have any leftover meat sauce you can easily use it to make a small pan of Moussaka or Pastitsio. To prepare the meat sauce, the ground meat is sautéed in olive oil, flavoured with onions and garlic and then simmered in red wine and tomato sauce. The aromatic herbs and spices used in the traditional recipe penetrate the meat and give a really characteristic taste and smell which permeates the house. Let the sauce simmer for a while to allow the flavours to mingle. Serve with some grated Kefalograviera and don’t forget the necessary Greek salad with feta cheese.

Meat Sauce:
26 oz ground beef or lamb (750 g)
2 red onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, grated (optional)
1 (14 oz) tin tomatoes, chopped (400 g)
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. tomato purée
1 tsp. sugar
1 glass red wine
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 bay leaf
1 pinch cinnamon or 1 stick cinnamon, freshly grated
2 whole cloves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pasta:
1 pkg spaghetti or other long pasta
sea salt
water, boiling hot
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Garnish:
7 oz Parmigiano Reggiano or kefalograviera, grated (200 g)

Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onions and carrot and sauté, until softened and slightly coloured. Stir in the garlic, tomato purée and the mince breaking it up with a wooden spoon and sauté, until caramelized. Pour in the red wine and wait for some of the liquid to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated.

Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to pkg instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and stir in 2 tsp. of olive oil.

Serve with grated cheese and a nice refreshing Greek feta salad and enjoy over a glass wine.

Makes 5 servings.