A pasta dish with the scrumptious Greek flavours of cinnamon, cloves and cayenne. The combination of spices remind me of the very first time ever that I tried spaghetti with meat sauce. I absolutely fell in love with that spaghetti taking me on my lifelong journey exploring Italian/Mediterranean cuisines, not to mention my love affair with pasta! It’s simple to make and mouthwateringly delicious, or I think so! Garlic could be added to the sauce…I sometimes do!
Makes 3 – 4 Servings
2 Tbsp. EVO
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 large onions, halved, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
1 (8 oz.) tin passata or tomato sauce
8 oz. large macaroni (I use bucatini but you could use penne)
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
Heat EVO in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat; add the meat and onions, sauté until brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the cinnamon, cayenne and cloves; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes and passata or tomato sauce; simmer until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 Tbsp. salt & the pasta, stirring the pasta occasionally until al dente; checking 2 minutes before time stated on the package.
Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water; drain pasta in a colander, add to sauce, tossing to combine. If mixture appears too dry, add a couple of tablespoonful’s of water and keep tossing for about 1 minute. Place pasta in a large, heating serving bowl. Serve immediately passing the cheese.
