This Greek Meat Sauce with Spaghetti is a thick, flavorful sauce, with hints of cinnamon and cloves, served over pasta. This is an amazing, delicious alternative to traditional spaghetti sauce.
Recipe Inspiration
I have several friends who give me regular inspiration for food. One of the top friends in this category is the lovely Jenelle. I have mentioned her in my Instant Pot Lemon Egg Chicken Soup and Chocolate Baklava recipe posts. Jenelle’s family is from Greece, so of course she’s well versed in delicious Greek food. A few months ago I asked her to name some of her favorite Greek dishes so I could learn about and use them for inspiration. One of her suggestions was “spaghetti with meat sauce, but Greek style.”
A New Spaghetti
I had never heard of Greek meat sauce, so I was quite intrigued. I began with my typical recipe developing steps. First, I looked up everything I could find about Greek meat sauce, and made a list of the most commonly used ingredients and spices. Then, I started cooking. I added and changed spices and herbs until I had something I thought tasted delicious.
Greek Meat Sauce with Spaghetti
I knew Jenelle had family recipes, but I wanted to develop my own before seeing hers as I didn’t want to “accidentally” poach it. I sent her a copy of my initial recipe, and then she showed me copies of her mama’s version(s). They were quite different ….
Disclaimer: I have never eaten authentic Greek meat sauce, so I don’t have a point of reference to which I can compare my version. But I did my fair share of research and made something my family and I loved!
This recipe is straight forward, but here are a few notes:
- This sauce is meant to be thick, which is why it simmers for so long. This also helps to develop the flavor. It tastes good after 10-15 minutes, but I highly recommend you let it simmer for an hour.
- Don’t let the mint frighten you: it is a small amount, so it adds to the flavor, but when eating the sauce you will not notice it.
- If you’re nervous to go full force with the spices, add half of the cinnamon, all spice, and cloves, then taste. I bet you’ll then be good with adding the rest!
Greek Meat Sauce with Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped finely
- 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 16 ounce box whole grain spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add ground beef and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Saute until beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat, leaving fat in pot, and set beef aside.
- Add onion to pot and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute.
- Pour red wine into pan and let cook for 1 minute, scraping up any burned pieces of food on the pot of the pot.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, mint, oregano, cinnamon, all spice, cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir well. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and let simmer, uncovered, until sauce is very thick, about 1 hour.
- While sauce is simmering, cook noodles according to package directions.
- When sauce has finished simmering, stir in butter and sugar until both are well incorporated.
- Serve sauce over pasta.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed this Greek Meat Sauce Spaghetti, you might enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Sausage and Beef Lasagna
Cheesy Chicken Lasagna
Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice with Tahini Yogurt Sauce
Greek Chicken over Orzo Lentil Salad
Links to items used to make this recipe:
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Well, I was adventurous and tried this, it turned out well, BUT I used WAY too much cinnamon and all spice I am pretty sure because that’s all I smelled when I served it and my husband turned his nose up to it and I had to reheat leftovers for him. It was different,not like the Greek spaghetti we get from the Greek church, but it wasn’t bad, I will take the blame for the excess. The sauce itself was beautiful and overall a good recipe for getting out of making ordinary spaghetti sauce.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully next time the spice level will be better for you!
What’s the point of the sugar in the butter at the end?