The answer to an Italian bolognese, a Greek meat sauce is different in the sense of flavors.
Text And Photo By Pam Kanavos
“Macaronia me kima” (pronounced ma ka RO nia me kee MAH) is a classic Greek dish of pasta and meat sauce. Similar to an Italian bolognese, but different in the sense of flavors. There are no carrots or celery being used, and traditional Greek flavors of cinnamon, allspice and cloves are added. 
Meat sauce in Greece is referred to as kima (kee-MAH), which is also the word for ground beef. It’s thicker and more like chili in its consistency than a typical Italian bolognese sauce. Tacos, meaty mac and cheese, even chilli, or any dish that calls for classic braised ground meat can be recreate with this sauce. It is a very versatile sauce and, it’s very easy to make. You only need 10 minutes to prep and then the sauce cooks itself. Just remember to start the pasta about 10 minutes before the kima is done. Once strained, throw the past right in the sauce. Voila! There you have it, makaronia me kima.
It seems that every Greek cook puts his or her own personal spin on this traditional favorite. That is the beauty of this recipe; it can be adapted to your own personal taste and it will quickly become a favorite in your family. Here is my family’s favorite version on this traditional dish.
Enjoy!
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Pasta with meat sauce (Makaronia me Kima)
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
Macaronia Me Kima is a classic Greek pasta dish featuring a rich, spiced meat sauce infused with cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup water
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 tbsp. olive oil (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2-3 berries of allspice (or 1/4 tsp. ground allspice)
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb. pasta of choice (e.g., spaghetti or macaroni)
- Grated cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a 4-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until all pink color disappears, breaking it up with a spoon.
- Add diced onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in red wine and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Stir in chopped parsley, ground cinnamon, allspice, and ground cloves. Add tomato sauce and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Once the sauce is ready, add the cooked pasta to the saucepan and toss to combine.
- Serve hot, topped with grated cheese if desired.
Notes
For a richer flavor, use a good quality red wine. You can substitute ground turkey or lamb for the beef. This sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving. Adjust the spices to your taste; some prefer more cinnamon or allspice.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 70
I’ve noticed your recipe has changed the 15oz can of Tomato sauce is missing and the one cup of water is also gone. I just wanted to bring it to your attention. I know the recipe pretty well because it’s my go-to Greek spaghetti recipe.
That’s a great catch Erica, thank yoU!
Looks great!
Never tried this before, but turned out really good!
Simple and delicious recipe!! My family enjoyed it very much, even my 4 year old! Thank you.
I make this recipe all the time. Closest I’ve found to authentic Greek spaghetti. My family also really enjoys it! I make it exactly as the recipe states and it’s perfection every time!
This is the closest recipe I have found to one of my favorite comfort foods. My ex-wife’s mother use to make it and I really miss it. But they use cinnamon sticks and whole gloves. The cheese I think was the kefalotyri which was placed on the plate, then pasta, sauce and cheese. Going to try it. Miss this dish more than the ex. Thanks for sharing
I love the seasonings, it has been a long time to make a decent sauce. But there was too much water, that would have taken a long time to reduce. Mine, .25 C water (Lamb/Beef 2# mix) and it took 40 minutes to reduce. I will need to replace the cinnamon with a stick in two next time, cook for 60+ mins.
Makaronia me kima is practically the same as ragu bolognese in terms of flavor profile.
Both of them have all of the following ingredients:
Onions
Ground beef
Tomato purée
Wine
Parsley has a pretty similar taste to celery, and both of these ingredients can be freely exchanged and substituted for one another.
Cinnamon and allspice are both pretty similar in terms of flavor to nutmeg.
Water is a bit plain in comparison to beef stock.
Although not very common in authentic Northern Italian ragù, garlic often shows up in Italian-American spaghetti bolognese.
The only ingredients in ragù bolognese which have no true equivalent in makaronia me kima are carrots and pancetta.
Hello Pam,
Very nice recipe indeed! I am using it as a guide today that I am making it on my own!
I will tell you the truth, I’ve never been a big fan of kefalotiri in Makaronia me Kima, not that it doesn’t taste well, but in my opinion Mizithra brings the dish to another dimension!
For me mizithra is by far the best cheese when it comes to pasta!
I am currently living in the UK and I brought with me a whole head of mizithra :p
Thanks again for the recipe and have a good day!
I make a big batch of bolognese every month–this looks like a fun variation, especially as I love allspice! Where do you find the cheese here in Boston? I was just looking for Kefalotyri for a recipe and subbed parmesan (just as you suggest); the Whole Foods guy said that there’s been trouble sourcing it recently?
HI Sara, Kefalotyri can be found in arlington on mass ave, in a little shop called christos. Also you can find it at any greek shop around town. You could sub it with parm no problem.
In Croatia we eat Italian version, I suppose, but I like how Greeks use allspice, cinnamon-really interesting and sounds flavorful, delicious!