Welcome back to PASTA WEEK! We are on day 3 and excited to share this recipe today, which happens to be one of my absolute classic Greek dishes. This is a special recipe for me because it reminds me of the days we went to the xorio in Mani, and we would make this. The “Maniatiko style” has a kick of cinnamon in the sauce. If you want to try a lovely Greek dish, this is the one for you.

Makaronia Me Kima Recipe (Maniatiko Style) 

Servings: 5

Recipe from my cookbook A Drop of Ladi & My Greek Soul cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup of red wine
• 1 cup of water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Salt & pepper
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
• 1 pound spaghetti pasta
• 1 sprig parsley, finely chopped
• Pecorino, Parmigiano, or Mizithra cheese to serve

Method:

1. Brown the meat with the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent.
2. Add the wine, water, cinnamon sticks, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Stir over medium heat to combine, then add the sugar.
3. Simmer the sauce for about 35-40 minutes uncovered. It should be slightly thickened but still have some juice. Remove cinnamon sticks and prepare the pasta according to package instructions. ( I always prefer it al dente.)
4. Serve meat sauce over the pasta and sprinkle grated cheese over the top along with parsley.

Tips:

• The longer the sauce cooks the better because all the flavors come together.
• The wine adds a lovely rich flavor to the sauce.
• My mom added in fennel seeds this time for extra flavor.
• The best way to cook pasta is al dente. You can drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the pasta or melted butter before you serve.

Pasta Week 

Day 1 

Day 2