Macarona Bechamel (Egyptian Baked Pasta)

A recipe for Macarona Bechamel (مكرونة بشاميل, Egyptian Baked Pasta)! 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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Baking Bloggers

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 (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.

The pasta is baked in a 400˚F (200˚C) oven until golden and bubbly on the top.

Allow to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Looking for more layered pasta recipes?

Try my:

• Pasticho (Venezuelan Lasagna)
• Baked Tomato Mozzarella Pasta
• Spaghetti Pie

To Layer the Macarona Bechamel

Grease the pan well with olive oil before arranging the layers. This will help keep the noodles from sticking and create more crisp edges.

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

The ingredients listed in this recipe perfectly fit in my deep 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).

A Few Tips

This dish is often 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).

The meat sauce can be prepared a day or two in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to assemble and bake.

I seasoned the ground beef mixture with about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. This amount may need to be modified depending on the salt content of the tomato sauce and personal taste. Same goes for the Bechamel.

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 making the béchamel sauce, slowly add the milk to create a smooth, creamy sauce. Cook while constantly stirring until it is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Especially stir the bottom and sides of the pot to keep the sauce from burning.

Once out of the oven, let the Macarona Bechamel rest for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This will allow the pasta layers to settle and create more clean slices.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave until heated through.

Check out what everyone else made for the event!

• 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

This recipe was originally posted in January 2019 and updated in June 2023.

Macarona Bechamel (Egyptian Baked Pasta) Recipe

Adapted from Sugar and Garlic

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

Macarona Bechamel (Egyptian Baked Pasta)

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

Course Main Course

Cuisine Egyptian

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

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -12 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) dried penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil

Beef:

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
• 1 onion peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 2 pounds (900 grams) ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup (10 grams) freshly chopped parsley

Bechamel:

• 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (64 grams) all-purpose flour
• 4 cups (950 milliliters) milk
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) chicken broth
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 ounces (113 grams) low moisture mozzarella shredded
• 1 large egg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Lightly grease a deep 10×14 inch (25×35 1/2 centimeter) baking dish with olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the penne and cook, stirring often, until barely tender, al dente. Drain (do not rinse) and toss with 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil.

To make the beef:

• In a large pan, drizzle the 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) 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 the salt, cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper.
• Stir in the tomato sauce. Cook for a few more minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
• Remove from heat, stir in the parsley, and adjust seasonings to taste.

To make the bechamel sauce:

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

• Arrange half of the cooked penne in the prepared baking dish. 
• Top with all of the beef mixture.
• Cover the beef with the remaining penne.
• Fully cover with an even layer of the béchamel sauce. 
• Bake the Macarona Bechamel, uncovered, in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, 40-50 minutes.
• Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.