Greek Spaghetti by Tom

The actual Greek name for this Bolognese style recipe is Makaronia me Kima.  Kima is the actual word for ground beef, but also refers to a meat sauce.

This one struck my eye when I was surfing around the internet looking for a Greek recipe as the Greek food month comes to a rapid close.  I found it in Greekfood.about.com.  Do not confuse this with an Italian-style tomato sauce.  Even though tomato sauce is an ingredient, the taste is much different due to the different spices.  Mint, fresh parsley, oregano and cinnamon give this meat sauce a unique taste.  I used the meat sauce with buccatini cooked al dente.  I enjoyed this different approach to using pasta.

      ---Tom

Greek Spaghetti
(from Greekfood.about.com)

Serves 4

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried mint
salt and pepper to taste
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound pasta of your choice ( I used buccatini)
Grated cheese

In a large sauce pan, brown the ground beef in the olive oil until the pink is gone. 

Add the onion and sauté until translucent.  Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about one more minute.

Add the wine and allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes.

Now add the parsley, cinnamon, oregano, mint, salt and pepper.  Next add the tomato sauce and the water.  Add the water to the empty can of tomato sauce before adding to the mixture to rinse out the can.

Now the ketchup, butter and the brown sugar.  Bring the entire mixture to a low boil and simmer for about an hour slightly covered to allow the mixture to thicken.

Prepare the pasta per the directions on the box.  I like pasta al dente, but prepare to your liking.

Plate the pasta and generously spoon the meat sauce over it.  Grate a hard cheese on top.

And there you have it, "Greek-style Bolognese-like spaghetti".  An interesting and quite good way to have pasta.

      ---Tom