One of the best things about being young is having grandparents. One of the shittiest things about getting older is the loss of your grandparents.
For those of you who still have grandparents in your lives…take the time to talk to them, listen to them, ask them about the old country, traditions, your family tree, anecdotes, look through old photographs…grab some recipes!
I love old people so it’s a natural that I would miss my grandparents. One of fondest memories I had was sipping a Greek coffee with my maternal grandfather (Pappou) and one of my ingrained food memories is eating my grandmother’s (Yiayia) spaghetti and meat sauce.
There’s no rocket science to a Greek meat sauce but it’s one of those recipes that makes the basis of so many other Greek dishes like Pastitsio, Papoutsakia or Moussaka.
It’s basically a bolognese sauce with a pinch of cinnamon thrown in at the end…ahhh that aroma!
Another thing you’ll see in my recipe is that I never add a pinch of sugar to my sauce. A trick I learned from my Italian neighbor is to use a carrot to neutralize and slightly sweeten your sauce.
I don’t like chunks of carrot in my sauce so I grate a carrot into instead. Acidity problem gone.
Take your time to soften the onions, this step is your “make or break point” for the sauce…burn the onions and you may as well start over.
If you took your time…you’ll enjoy a heaping bowl of Greek love!
Spaghetti With a Greek Meat Sauce (μακαρονάδα)
Course: Greek, Meat, Pasta, Sauce4-6
servings30
minutes50
minutesIngredients
3 medium-sized onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 carrot, grated
1 can of plum tomatoes, pureed
3 bay leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 kg. lean ground beef
1 Tbsp. of dried Greek oregano
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of cinnamon
grated Kefalotyri cheese (or Romano)
Directions
- In a large skillet, add your olive oil and bring up to a medium-high heat. Add your onions and carrot and when they start to sizzle, lower to medium-low and saute for about 10 minutes to soften (not brown).
- Add your ground beef, garlic, bay leaves and turn the heat to high and stir the contents to brown the meat.
- As soon as your meat has browned and most of the liquid is gone, add your wine and reduce until the liquid is almost gone.
- Add your tomato sauce, oregano, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the sauce (uncovered for about 30-40 minutes or until it becomes thick).
- Take off the heat, add a pinch of cinnamon.
- Serve with your favourite pasta (my Yiayia always served this with Petaloudes or farfalle).
- Grate lots of Kefalotyri cheese on top.
30 Responses
Aaaahhh…you beat me to it! I love this. The kanela just gives it that extra oomph!
I knew my grandparents briefly but its true, I used to love chatting to them. Great words Peter.
Peter, do you spend anytime sleeping or just cook and post?
You have been awarded… follow the link please!
http://recipespicbypic.blogspot.com/2008/02/nice-matters-award.html
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
You know comfort food, that’s for sure! My family loves this meal, obviously not the Greek version, but a good bolognese sauce is the base of so many dishes.
A great post, thx Peter.
Never added cinamon to the meat sauce.
True abou!t grandparent. My husbands grandmother became 96 yesterday and we were there to celebrate. She is a wonderful laday and we all adore her.
She is my husbands godmother too so we ask her a lot of time for dinner and coffees etc.
You know she still lives alone, but her daughter lives in the upstairs apatment so she goes up to have her lunch
Since we lived in Canada I never got to know my grandparents which is really a loss. I have had Greek spaghetti many a time with my friends in Calgary :D Thanks for sharing :D
Peter, lovely recipe & post thanks for sharing. so true what you say about Grandparents. growing up in Melbourne we lived near a lovely Greek family so I was fortunate to be invited to tea many times, often having spaghetti, as well as a meat version they did a great one with just (I think) butter & cheese??, by chance would you have a recipe, please :-)
Dell xo
Peter, I am so with you on this one. If it wasn’t for my Grandparents and the times I spent with them in the kitchen I wouldn’t be the cook I am today. So I pretty much owe them everything. Those were the good old days!
My family sauce does use the pinch of sugar. I like the carrot idea, but I have a hard time diverging from the way the older generation used to make the sauce in my family.
This pasta looks so good! I would love a bowl right now.
I have one grandfather left, and I really should go visit him. He’s an old fwumpus, but he always appreciates a visit and a free dinner. :)
Hey I couldn’t help but notice you cursed. Feels good, dunnit?
Aha! You’ve explained it!
At one point, when I actually took the time to look up a marinara sauce recipe in a cookbook rather than just “wing it”, I found it calling for grated carrot. I minced mine in the food processor, because I know the fussbudgets in my house, and it was good. Now I know why!
I shall try the cinnamon, too! Thanks, Peter!
cooked that today, too – greek food bloggers all seem to be eating and cooking similar food. it’s true that we are what we eat.
Pete, there’s no race…post yours too…we’ll get the word out on Greek food.
Nuria, I’ll sleep when I die. I saw the the award, thank you so much Chica!
Happy, a happy 96th to your hubby’s grandma!
Val, you can still reach out to old people, I find them fascinating.
Dell, I will post this dish you ask of…be patient.
Jenn, I just had that bowl for ya…Umm Um good!
Heather, DO IT! As for the cursing, it’s Tourettes, f-ing Missy!;)
Marjie, try the carrot…no need for sugar.
Maria, great minds (and stomachs) think alike!
Amen, Peter.
Love your dish too :)
That is one nice looking plate of spaghetti with meat sauce! I like the idea of adding cinnamon to the sauce.
I was just having that exact conversation with my dad this last weekend while we were together.
It’s sad… as a child you’re not really that interested in your grandparents other than loving the fact that they aren’t as strict as your parents. But as you get older you want to know them, talk to them and get their recipes!
My grandma is turning 91 next week and I appreciate all of the time I still have with her.
I love this recipe for Greek inspired meat sauce. YUM!
I’d like a heaping bowl of this!Carrot I have tried, but cinnamon in sauce I have never done.Sounds exotic!!
As ever, delicious! You also have the knack pf being able to photograph dishes like this and make them look delectable, whereas when I photograph savoury dishes – well, we won’t go there!
One of my favorites, and good tip about the carrots. As for yiayias in the kitchen, they absolutely do know best~
I love to put a pinch of cinnamon in my meat sauce. (Don’t tell my mother!) I learned this from the owner of a local Italian pizza place, who happens to be Greek!
Cinnamon, eh?
Would have to try that one of these days for a twist on the ol’ meat sauce.
Again its a blast! Even my 8 year old boy told me best sauce ever!.
Curious, what size can of tomatoes?
750ml.