Macarona Bechamel (Egyptian Baked Pasta) #BakingBloggers

Macarona Bechamel (مكرونة بشاميل, Egyptian Baked Pasta) recipe for #BakingBloggers! Penne pasta is layered with a spiced beef mixture, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce, and baked until golden and bubbly.

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#BakingBloggers

Created by Sue of Palatable Pastime, #BakingBloggers get together monthly to vote on a different baking project. For January, we are featuring baked pasta and I am joining in with a recipe for Macarona Bechamel (مكرونة بشاميل, Egyptian Baked Pasta).

Macarona Bechamel (مكرونة بشاميل, Egyptian Baked Pasta)

Macarona Bechamel has been on my list for quite some time and I am so glad #BakingBloggers gave me the push to finally make it! Perfect for the holidays or feeding a crowd, penne pasta is layered with a seasoned ground beef mixture and topped with a creamy béchamel sauce. It reminded me a bit of Firinda Kiymali Makarna (Turkish Baked Pasta with Ground Beef).

To layer: Start with half of the cooked noodles followed by all of the beef mixture, the remaining noodles, then an even layer of the béchamel sauce.

This dish is traditionally made with penne, but you can substitute with other medium-sized tube shapes (just be careful not to overcook, since they will soften a little more while in the oven). I seasoned the ground beef mixture with about 1 teaspoon of salt. This amount may need to be modified depending on the salt content of the  tomato sauce and personal taste.

Some of the béchamel recipes I came across only contain butter, flour, and milk. I added a couple of the optional ingredients, mozzarella and one egg, to help create a more rich and creamy sauce. Omit these if desired. When stirring the béchamel, be sure to really scrape the bottom to keep it from burning.

The ingredients listed in this recipe perfectly fit in my 10×14 inch baking dish. For smaller pans, there may be a little overflow and layering a portion of the ingredients in a smaller pan may be required (when this happens to me with just a small amount, I usually mix together the leftovers that don’t fit and eat them myself while the pan is baking).

Check out what everyone else made for the event!

Baking Bloggers

Baked Pasta

• Baked Mac and Cheese with Corn by Anybody Can Bake
• Baked Mexican Chicken Spaghetti by Sneha’s Recipe
• Cavatini by Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Artichoke Ravioli Casserole by Food Lust People Love
• Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Bake by Cook with Renu
• Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta Bake by Caroline’s Cooking
• Greek Giouvetsi by Pandemonium Noshery
• Macarona Bechamel (Egyptian Baked Pasta) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Meatless Lasagna by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mushroom And Artichoke Pasta Bake by Oventales
• Rakott teszta (Hungarian Layered Noodles) by Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking
• Sausage and Spinach Lasagna by Cookaholic Wife
• Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Turkey Ham Mac and Cheese by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Turkey Tetrazzini by Reviews, Chews & How-Tos

Macarona Bechamel (مكرونة بشاميل, Egyptian Baked Pasta) Recipe

Adapted from Sugar and Garlic

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Macarona Bechamel (Egyptian Baked Pasta)

Course Main Course

Cuisine Egyptian

Keyword Africa, African, beef, Egypt, Egyptian, macarona bechamel, meat, noodle, pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) dried penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Beef:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 pounds (900 grams) ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup (5 grams) freshly chopped parsley

Bechamel:

• 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (64 grams) all-purpose flour
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 cups (950 ml) milk
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken broth
• 4 ounces (113 grams) low moisture mozzarella shredded
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F (205˚C). Lightly grease a deep 10x14 inch (25x35 1/2 cm) baking dish with olive oil.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring often, until just tender, al dente. Drain (do not rinse) and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

To make the beef:

1. In a large pan, drizzle the 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Mix in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Crumble in the ground beef. Continue to cook, breaking up the beef, until browned. Season with salt and add the tomato sauce. Cook for a few more minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley.

To make the bechamel sauce:

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a whisk. Cook, while continuously stirring, just until golden. Whisk in the salt and nutmeg. Slowly pour in the milk, while continuously whisking to prevent lumps, followed by the chicken broth. Cook, stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning, until the mixture has thickened.

2. Remove from heat and stir in the mozzarella until smooth. In a small bowl, beat the egg. While continuously beating, pour in a little of the hot béchamel to temper the egg. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot of béchamel while whisking until smooth.

To layer the Macarona Bechamel:

1. Arrange half of the cooked penne in the prepared baking dish. 

2. Top with all of the beef mixture.

3. Cover the beef with the remaining penne.

4. Fully cover with an even layer of the béchamel sauce. 

5. Bake the Macarona Bechamel, uncovered, in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, 30-40 minutes.

6. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.