I don’t think there’s anything more comforting than spaghetti and homemade meat sauce. Makaronia me kima is the name for spaghetti and meat sauce in Greek, and it’s the ultimate comfort food. Add some grated parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese on top, and bake it in the oven for a satisfying pasta dish!

The secret to best-tasting meat sauce is to let the sauce simmer for at least two to three hours. The longer the sauce cooks, the thicker and more tender the meat will be.

If you’re short on time, you can make this recipe in under an hour, but it will be worth it to let the sauce simmer for longer to enjoy the incredible homemade flavour!

If you’ve never made your own pasta sauce, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed! This recipe is easy to follow and uses simple ingredients. The majority of the time required is to let the sauce simmer on medium-low heat for at least two to three hours. After that, your taste buds will thank you!

If you’re looking for a lovely Greek dinner idea, then this easy stovetop meat sauce and spaghetti recipe with simple ingredients is so delicious and just as tasty the next day!

RECIPE TIPS

When making the spaghetti, it’s best to follow the instructions on the package, but here are a few tips! 

First, add about a teaspoon of olive oil to the pasta water. This will prevent the pasta from sticking together.  Add a teaspoon of salt to the water once the water is boiling to help add flavour to the spaghetti noodles.  Finally, drain the pasta using a strainer and rinse well with cold water. This will stop the pasta from cooking longer and will also get rid of any excess starch.

Cook the pasta so that it’s al dente. What’s al dente? This is when the pasta is cooked so that it’s chewy and firm and can absorb pasta sauces without getting mushy.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Ground beef: I would recommend, at a minimum, using lean ground beef for this recipe. Extra-lean ground beef is healthier but doesn’t have as much flavour because it has less fat.

Italian canned plum tomatoes: I find that Italian plum tomatoes are the best type for this recipe. They have a lot of flavour and work well! Pour the whole tomatoes and juice from the canned tomatoes into a separate bowl.

Use your hands or a fork to crush the tomatoes before adding the crushed tomatoes to your saucepan with the ground beef. A tip is to add a teaspoon of sugar to the canned tomatoes and stir them together. Adding sugar will reduce the acidity of the tomatoes.

Spaghetti: An essential ingredient to spaghetti and meat sauce, but if you don’t have spaghetti on hand or prefer a different type of pasta, then feel free to swap the spaghetti for another pasta.

HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE: STEP BY STEP

STEP 1: Peel and finely dice one white onion and three garlic cloves. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan or large pot. Add the diced onion.  Let the onion simmer for a few minutes on low heat.

Then, add the diced garlic and stir together using a wooden spoon or a large spoon. Let the onions and garlic simmer on low to medium heat for about ten minutes or until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Keep an eye on the onions and garlic so that they don’t burn.

STEP 2: Add the ground beef.  Use a fork to break apart the ground beef into really small pieces. Allow the ground beef to simmer uncovered on medium heat until the ground beef turns brown and there are no pink pieces. It takes about 10-15 minutes.

STEP 3: While the ground beef, onions, and garlic are simmering finely dice the celery, carrots, and fresh yellow pepper.  If you don’t have yellow pepper, then you can substitute either orange or red peppers.  Any of these peppers work well for this recipe since they are all sweet in flavour.

You can choose whichever type you like best! Once the ground beef has browned, add in the finely diced celery, carrots, and fresh pepper.  Mix together with the ground beef. Simmer for 15 minutes on low to medium heat, uncovered.  Stir occasionally.

STEP 4: Pour the can of whole tomatoes and liquid into a separate bowl and use your hands to crush the tomatoes. Stir in 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar to the tomatoes.

Then, add the crushed tomatoes to the saucepan with the ground beef and vegetables. Add in the seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, and cinnamon stick.  Stir together.  Allow the meat sauce to simmer covered for at least 30 minutes on low heat.

STEP 5: After at least 30 minutes, add 1 cup of hot water and stir. Cover the saucepan with a lid and allow the sauce to simmer on low for at least another 30 minutes.

STEP 6: While the sauce is cooking, finely dice the fresh Italian parsley, mint leaves, and basil.  Add all of the finely diced herbs to the sauce.  Stir together and cover the saucepan with the lid.  Allow the sauce to simmer for another 30 minutes on low heat.

STEP 7: Time to cook the spaghetti! It’s best to follow the instructions on the box since the cooking time can vary depending on the type of pasta.

STEP 8: Strain the pasta and rinse with cold water. In a separate medium-sized saucepan, heat two tablespoons of salted butter in the saucepan to brown the butter. Once the butter is brown and fragrant, add in the spaghetti and stir together until the spaghetti is mixed with the butter.

STEP 9:  You can mix the spaghetti and meat sauce in the saucepan or serve the spaghetti on a plate and top with your homemade meat sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and grated cheese!

If you like crispy pasta, my family will sometimes bake the spaghetti in the oven with some cheese sprinkled on top.

Transfer the strained and cooked spaghetti to a saucepan with a little burnt butter to make crispy pasta. Stir the pasta, coated with butter, and then transfer the spaghetti to a baking dish.

Top the baking dish with grated parmesan cheese and bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned at 350 degrees F. The top of the pasta will get nice and crispy!

Meat sauce is a versatile sauce that is delicious with other pasta like tagliatelle and bowtie, or you can use this meat sauce for a lasagna recipe. If you’re looking for a low-carb option, you can try this meat sauce recipe with butternut squash noodles or zucchini noodles.

What’s The Difference Between Spaghetti Meat Sauce and Bolognese? 

The difference between meat sauce and bolognese is that meat sauce is more of a tomato-based sauce using either canned Italian plum tomatoes or tomato paste simmered with ground beef.  If you’re looking for another pasta recipe with canned Italian plum tomatoes, you can check out Riri’s Greek Eats creamy tomato pasta recipe!

Bolognese is often a thicker sauce and has dairy products like milk or cream added to the sauce.   Both meat sauce and bolognese can be enjoyed with various pasta types like spaghetti, penne, tagliatelle, or pappardelle.

STORING & RE-HEATING

How Should I Store Leftover Spaghetti and Meat Sauce? 

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days! You can also freeze spaghetti and meat sauce. More on that below!

Can You Freeze Spaghetti With Meat Sauce?  

It’s really easy to freeze meat sauce, and it can last for up to three months in the freezer! First, let the meat sauce cool completely. Then transfer the sauce to either Tupperware, plastic containers, or freezer bags. When you’re ready to use the sauce, let the meat sauce thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

How Should I Reheat Leftover Spaghetti and Meat Sauce? 

My favourite way to reheat spaghetti and meat sauce is to simmer the spaghetti and meat sauce in a frying pan.

Gradually heat the meat sauce in a frying pan on low heat and then increase to medium heat. Or, you can add the spaghetti to the frying pan and heat the spaghetti and meat sauce together.

You could also add a little bit of olive oil to the pan before adding the spaghetti and meat sauce. Finally, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese or another cheese of your choosing!

Popular Greek Dinner Ideas!

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Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Spaghetti With Meat Sauce (Makaronia me kima)

One of the most popular comfort meals! Easy spaghetti with homemade meat sauce. Fresh ground beef, plum tomatoes, fresh herbs and plenty of parmesan cheese.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Greek Dinner Ideas

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: meat sauce, pasta with meat sauce, spaghetti with meat sauce

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 315kcal

Author: Ria Mavrikos

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion finely diced - about 1 1/2 cups
• 3 garlic cloves finely diced
• Lean ground beef approximately 500 grams
• one small carrot finely diced - about 1/3 cup
• one yellow pepper finely diced - about 2/3 cup
• 1 stock of celery deveined and finely diced - about 1/3 cup
• 1 small can of Italian peeled plum canned tomatoes 398 ml. or 14 oz.
• 1/2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup of hot water
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil finely diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated parmesan cheese or mizithra cheese to sprinkle on top optional
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

For the spaghetti

• 1 package of spaghetti 500 grams
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• Grated parmesan cheese or mizithra cheese optional

Instructions

• Peel and finely dice one white onion and three garlic cloves. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan or large pot. Add the diced onion. Let the onion simmer for a few minutes on low heat. Then, add the diced garlic and stir together using a wooden spoon or large spoon. Let the onions and garlic simmer on low to medium heat for about ten minutes or until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Keep an eye on the onions and garlic so that they don't burn.
• Add the ground beef. Use a fork to break apart the ground beef into really small pieces. Allow the ground beef to simmer uncovered on medium heat until the ground beef turns brown and there are no pink pieces. About 10-15 minutes.
• Finely dice the celery, carrots, and fresh yellow pepper. If you don't have yellow pepper you can use orange or red pepper. Any of them work well in this recipe since they are all sweet in flavour. Once the ground beef has browned, add in the finely diced celery, carrots, and fresh pepper. Mix together with the ground beef. Simmer for 15 minutes on low to medium heat uncovered. Stir occasionally.
• Pour the can of whole tomatoes and liquid into a separate bowl and use your hands to crush the tomatoes. Stir in 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar to the tomatoes. Then, add the crushed tomatoes to the saucepan with the ground beef and vegetables. Add in the seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, and cinnamon stick. Stir together. Allow the meat sauce to simmer covered for at least 30 minutes on low heat.
• After at least 30 minutes, add 1 cup of hot water to the meat sauce and stir. Cover the saucepan with a lid and allow the sauce to simmer on low for at least another 30 minutes.
• While the sauce is cooking, finely dice the fresh Italian parsley, mint leaves, and basil. Add all of the finely diced herbs to the sauce. Stir together and cover the saucepan with the lid. Allow the sauce to simmer for another 30 minutes on low heat.
• Time to cook the spaghetti! It's best to follow the instructions on the box since the cooking time can vary depending on the type of pasta.
• Strain the pasta and rinse with cold water. In a separate medium-sized saucepan, heat two tablespoons of salted butter and brown the butter on low heat. Once the butter is brown and fragrant, add the spaghetti and stir together until the spaghetti is mixed with the butter.
• You can mix the spaghetti with the meat sauce in the saucepan or serve the spaghetti on a plate and top with your homemade meat sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or grated cheese!

Notes

1. If you have the time, let the meat sauce cook for at least two hours, covered on low heat. The longer the meat sauce cooks, the more tender the meat and flavourful the sauce will be!
2. Optional add-ins: dry white wine like pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, or chardonnay. You can add the white wine to the beef once it's browned. Allow it to absorb the wine before adding the diced vegetables. You can also add dried oregano or red chilli peppers if you'd like!
3. Add the fresh herbs closer to the end of simmering the meat sauce to retain their flavour.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 638mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g