Makaronia Me Kima

Normally, I don’t feel like cooking on Fridays so I tend to throw something in the crockpot in the morning, or we eat out that night. Tonight neither was an option, so I went with something pretty simple–spaghetti and meatsauce. Rather than the traditional pasta sauce, I made a Greek-style one (well, traditional for me, I guess). Greek meatsauce (kima) is a little thicker and more spicy-sweet than a regular bolognese.

Kima yia makaronia (meatsauce for pasta)

1 lb. ground beef or ground lamb
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cinnamon stick (or about 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon)
4 whole allspice balls or 4 whole cloves, or a pinch of ground
3-4 tablespoons of tomato paste (a little less than half the can)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon dried parsley or a few tablespoons fresh
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in the skillet and then add diced onions. Cook until they start to get tender, and then add in ground beef. Brown ground beef together with onion. Drain fat if necessary.

Add garlic and saute until fragrant.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Season to taste.

Serve over spaghetti (we use whole wheat) and top with cheese. The BEST cheese is mizithra, a Greek cheese. But, it’s usually only found in Greek or specialty stores.