Macaroni bechamel, also known as macarona bechamel, is Egyptian-style pasta layered with delicious rich mince sauce, topped with smooth, creamy bechamel sauce and baked for a delicious crusty top. It is thought to have origins in Greece and is referred to as the Egyptian cuisine version of the Greek pastitsio or Italian lasagna.
This Middle Eastern pasta dish with warm spices is the ultimate comfort food and crowd pleaser. It is easy to make and comes together easily for assembly into distinct layers, which come together nicely when eaten. Macaroni bechamel is filling and nutritious, which makes it great for sahur meals during Ramadan.
How To Make Egyptian Macaroni Bechamel
Here are the ingredients for macaroni bechamel...
Meat Sauce
Sunflower oil
Onion
Garlic
Cinnamon
Cumin
Salt
Mince (Ground) beef
Tomato puree
Carrots
Pasta
Penne pasta
Salt
Bechamel Sauce
All-purpose flour
Butter
Milk
Nutmeg
A few notes about ingredients…
- Pasta shape: Penne is traditionally used for this Egyptian recipe. It holds up the sauce and is beautiful when you cut out a slice. It is also very common, which makes it accessible. You can substitute with straight paste shapes with holes running through like rigatoni or any type of pasta available to you – the dish will still be delicious.
- Ground Beef: Beef or lamb is traditionally used for the meat sauce added to macaroni bechamel. You can substitute this with ground turkey or chicken, depending on preference and what is available to you.
- Nutmeg: This spice gives this Egyptian bechamel sauce a distinctive warming aroma, which lifts the dish's flavour. You can exclude this if you don’t have it. Another way to infuse flavour into the white sauce is to boil the milk with garlic and bay leaves – and leave it to infuse for at least 30 mins before adding it into the white sauce.
- Added vegetables: I added grated carrots to the meat sauce to sneak some vegetables into this indulgent dish. You can use your favourite veggies – grated mushroom and broccoli also work well in meat sauce.
How to make it...
Meat Sauce
You should prepare this first as it needs time to cool so it can hold up in the layers when serving. You can make it a day before or prepare it and keep it in the fridge to chill while making the pasta and the white sauce.
Chop the onion and the garlic cloves. Grate the carrots.
Heat the oil under medium heat, then add the onion. Cook until translucent.
Add the garlic, cinnamon and cumin. Stir for 30 secs.
Add the minced meat into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to break the chunks and mix with the onion and spices. Stir until the meat turns brown.
Pour in the carrot, tomato puree and a pinch of salt.
Simmer for at least 30 mins, occasionally turning with a wooden spoon. The sauce should be reduced, and the rich flavours developed.
Taste for salt and add more if required. Remove from heat.
Pasta
Cook the pasta with salt for 3 mins less than the time advised on the package directions. It will cook further in the oven and could become too soft if already cooked to al dente before assembly. Drain the cooked pasta and keep it aside.
White Sauce
The white sauce for Egyptian pasta bake needs to be smooth and thick; therefore, less liquid is used than traditional bechamel.
Grate the nutmeg.
Melt butter in a pan under low heat. Add the flour and mix in with the butter until smooth.
Warm the milk in a jug in the microwave, so it is hot.
Remove the saucepan from the fire and add the milk slowly while stirring to prevent lumps and sticking. Add at least three-quarters of the milk and mix until smooth.
Add a pinch of salt and the grated nutmeg into the pan.
Place the pan back on the hob under low heat and continue to stir vigorously. The sauce will slowly thicken. If it becomes too thick, add more milk until you get the right consistency.
The bechamel sauce will become too thick to pour if left to cool. If this happens, warm it up before drizzling it over the pasta and meat sauce assembly.
The assembly
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).
Take half a cup of the white sauce and toss into the pasta. Rub a small amount of the white sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
Start by layering half of the pasta at the bottom. Next, spread the meat sauce over; then add the remaining half of the pasta.
Finally, pour the rest of the bechamel sauce and spread to cover the top.
Place in the oven and bake for 40 - 50 mins, until the top is crusty with a golden brown colour.
Allow to cool for at least 10 mins before serving. Serve with your favourite green salad
Recipe FAQ
Cooking the different components of the dish, and then baking in the oven takes time. I advise preparing the meat sauce in advance anyway, so it is cooled down for easy assembly. You can also prepare the pasta and the white sauce ahead, then assemble and bake in the oven when ready to eat. You can keep left over in the fridge for a few days – just warm in the microwave when you are ready to eat.
Specialty Tools
Baking dish – You need a bigger baking dish for this recipe.
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Egyptian Macaroni Bechamel
Equipment
- 1 Baking Dish You need a big baking dish for this recipe.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Sunflower oil
- 1 Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 500 g Mince meat (Ground beef)
- Salt
- 400 g Tomato puree (1 can)
- 2 Carrots
Pasta
- 400 g Penne Pasta
- Salt
Bechamel Sauce
- 100 g All-purpose flour
- 100 g Butter
- 4½ cups Milk
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- Salt
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- Chop the onion and the garlic cloves. Grate the carrots.
- Heat the oil under medium heat, then add the onion. Cook until translucent.
- Add the garlic, cinnamon and cumin. Stir for 30 secs.
- Add the minced meat into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to break the chunks and mix with the onion and spices. Stir until the meat turns brown.
- Pour in the carrot, tomato puree and a pinch of salt. Simmer for at least 30 mins, occasionally turning with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.
Pasta
- Cook the pasta with salt for 3 mins less than the time advised on the package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and keep it aside.
White Sauce
- Grate the nutmeg.
- Melt butter in a pan under low heat. Add the flour and mix in with the butter until smooth.
- Warm the milk in a jug in the microwave, so it is hot.
- Remove the saucepan from the fire and add the milk slowly while stirring to prevent lumps and sticking. Add at least three-quarters of the milk and mix until smooth.
- Add a pinch of salt and the grated nutmeg into the pan.
- Place the pan back on the hob under low heat and continue to stir vigorously. The sauce will slowly thicken. If it becomes too thick, add more milk until you get the right consistency.
- The bechamel sauce will become too thick to pour if left to cool. If this happens, warm it up before drizzling it over the pasta and meat sauce assembly.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).
- Take half a cup of the white sauce and toss into the pasta. Rub a small amount of the white sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Start by layering half of the pasta at the bottom. Next, spread the meat sauce over; then add the remaining half of the pasta. Finally, pour the rest of the bechamel sauce and spread to cover the top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 40 - 50 mins until the top is crusty with a golden brown colour.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 mins before serving.
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