Ev'S Greek Spaghetti Dinner Recipe

Name: Ev'S Greek Spaghetti Dinner
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion, minced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef; 2 (1 lb) cans plum tomatoes, pureed; 2 cups water; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 tablespoon maggi seasoning sauce (a liquid soy-yeast extract blend lacking this, use regular dark soy sauce); 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 small dried red chilies (my kids won't let me add this, but it's good) (optional); 1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled (Mediterranean); 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled; 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled; 2 bay leaves; 8 allspice berries; 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks (each stick measuring about 3 inches in length, 2 sticks broken in half, don't use one of the halves); 1 1/2 lbs cooked spaghetti (or pasta of your choice); 1/3 lb butter, cold; 1/2 cup grated mizithra cheese (or Parmesan, but myzithra is authentic); more grated cheese, for the table

Servings: persons

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
2 (1 lb) cans plum tomatoes, pureed
2 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon maggi seasoning sauce (a liquid soy-yeast extract blend lacking this, use regular dark soy sauce)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 small dried red chilies (my kids won't let me add this, but it's good) (optional)
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled (Mediterranean)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
2 bay leaves
8 allspice berries
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks (each stick measuring about 3 inches in length, 2 sticks broken in half, don't use one of the halves)
1 1/2 lbs cooked spaghetti (or pasta of your choice)
1/3 lb butter, cold
1/2 cup grated mizithra cheese (or Parmesan, but myzithra is authentic)
more grated cheese, for the table

1
In a medium to large sized pot, add the olive oil, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, over high heat until onion is translucent and whole house smells good, about 4 minutes. Add ground beef and smash down with the tip of your wooden spoon to break it up. Brown beef well.
2
When you think it's been browned long enough and it's time to give it a stir to redistribute the meat for more browning - STOP - wait another minute and a half to two minutes, and then stir up the meat. Do this repeatedly until all the meat is good and brown. This is important for the end result. For a good meat sauce, you want your meat to have browned sufficiently, and most people don't give it enough time. In all, this process should take 12-15 minutes.
3
Add all the remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes, then cover pot and simmer a further 30 minutes. This is as long as I cook it for my family, the sauce is as thick as we like it. If you like your sauce thicker, cook it uncovered slightly longer before covering the pot (another 5-10 minutes?). If you like your sauce thinner, cover the pot after 25-30 minutes of simmering before continuing with the additional half hour.
4
Fish out bay leaves, chilis (if using), allspice berries and cinnamon sticks.
5
This recipe makes quite a lot of sauce, which is a good thing as you can freeze what's left to enjoy on another day, when there's little to no time to cook a homemade meal.
6
To make authentic greek-style pasta: Cook pasta (I usually use spaghettini, but not exclusively) in the regular way until al dente. Drain.
7
In the dry pot you cooked the pasta in, add the butter (BUTTER, not oil, not margarine); melt and brown the butter. This takes about 3-4 minutes at high heat. Turn off heat source and add spaghetti back to the pot. Toss to coat with browned butter.
8
Put spaghetti in large platter, pour half of sauce over, sprinkle with about 1/2 cup myzithra cheese.
9
Put the remaining sauce in a deep bowl and serve at the table for people to top off their pasta along with extra grated cheese.

1103

kcal

Calories

Fat

Carbs

Protein

Fat Carbs Protein

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

No additional tips available.

No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.

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This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.

You need 23 ingredients. The key ingredients include: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion, minced, 4 garlic cloves, minced, 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef, and more.

Yes, Ev'S Greek Spaghetti Dinner falls under the Pasta & Noodles category and is a great choice for this type of meal.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Ev'S Greek Spaghetti Dinner

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