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Greek-Style Bolognese (Kima)
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A delicious, rich meat sauce with layers upon layers of flavour. What distinguishes kima from a traditional ragù Bolognese are the spices: this recipe calls for a combination of cinnamon, allspice and clove, which adds warmth and a slight sweetness to the dish. I love a good Bolognese, but I love this even more; once you try it, you will too! Serve it with pasta or use it as a base for moussaka or pastitsio.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Pasta, Meat
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 500 g beef mince
- sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 sweet onion (or red onion), finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground clove
- 30 g double concentrated tomato purée
- 100 ml sweet red wine
- 1 x 400g tin of good-quality whole peeled plum tomatoes, hand-crushed
- 250 ml good-quality beef or chicken stock
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ tsp sugar
- cooked spaghetti and lots of grated Gruyère cheese, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or potato masher (it works surprisingly well!). Once browned, season with a generous pinch of salt and some freshly-ground black pepper.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the spices (cinnamon, allspice and clove) and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomato purée and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to darken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the red wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is evaporated and the surface of the pot is almost dry.
- Add the crushed tinned tomatoes, stock, dried bay leaf and sugar. Stir to combine and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid slightly ajar until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened, 1 to 1 ½ hours; stir occasionally.
- Taste and season with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. To serve (Greek-style), divide cooked spaghetti between bowls and top with the sauce and some grated gruyère cheese – enjoy!
Notes
Love bolognese? Try some of my other bolognese recipes: Ragu Bolognese, Brisket Ragu, Spiced Short Rib Ragu or Duck Ragu.