Mediterranean Spaghetti

20 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Photo: Howard L. Puckett; Styling: Fonda Shaia
Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups).
June 1998
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

Sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg balance the pungent feta and Parmesan cheeses to give a bold, intriguing flavor to a familiar meat-and-pasta dish.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs, divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 4 cups cooked spaghetti (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
  • Fresh oregano sprigs (optional)

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 365
  • Caloriesfromfat 23%
  • Fat 9.4g
  • Satfat 4.8g
  • Monofat 2.7g
  • Polyfat 0.7g
  • Protein 22.2g
  • Carbohydrate 47.4g
  • Fiber 3.2g
  • Cholesterol 80mg
  • Iron 3.7mg
  • Sodium 709mg
  • Calcium 281mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°.

Step 2

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the first 4 ingredients, and sauté 5 minutes. Add the wine and next 6 ingredients (wine through tomatoes). Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thick.

Step 3

Combine the flour, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in a medium sauce-pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook for 7 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove milk mixture from heat. Stir in feta cheese, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, and egg.

Step 4

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs in a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Place 2 cups spaghetti in casserole, and top with 2 cups beef mixture and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers. Combine 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake casserole at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh oregano, if desired.

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Ratings & Reviews

Wonderful!

PinkLadyLA
August 08, 2016
This has been one of our favorites since it came out years ago.  I go to it again and again. Perfect for casual dinner or company. 

Hubby and I loved this one

JackieBennett
April 28, 2015
Excellent recipe! I doubled up on the garlic, it's what I do. :-)  I also cut back the cinnamon to 1/2 tsp. From experience I know that a little goes a long way. Everything else followed to a "T" though I might have added a few more twists of pepper and sea salt, but that's a normal "suit your taste" kind of a thing. 

gibgrl's Review

fittaraw
February 02, 2014
N/A

Paigecline's Review

Bballmom
August 04, 2013
I am putting together a book of my favorite recipes, and I went searching specifically for this one. My whole family loves it. Nice variation on spaghetti.

FlakyPastry's Review

pennyn
June 05, 2013
I too have been making this recipe since it first appeared in Cooking Light over 10 years ago. I have done lots of meat variations (since I don't eat beef): ground chicken, turkey, or lamb. Sometimes, I forgo the healthy aspect and use chicken/turkey/lamb sausage. Ha! I think the ratios are all perfect, although I often use a pound of fresh tomatoes to cut down on salt. Makes *great* leftovers!

ahbiblybleereg's Review

duran3911
January 18, 2013
N/A

Dianalee27's Review

Juniper1
January 13, 2013
N/A

duran3911's Review

veryslowcook
January 30, 2012
N/A

Juniper1's Review

cmaranski
December 24, 2011
N/A

PinkLadyLA's Review

lisahamilton
October 03, 2011
I liked the taste of this recipe but I thought the amount of some ingredients were strange. This needed way more tomato and much less onion. I also think mushrooms might be a good addition. I'll see what I can do with the leftovers to improve the vegetable to beef ratio.