Pasta lovers, may I present to you, the Egyptian version of Pastitsio. One of life's true pleasures, a comfort food that only pasta lovers will appreciate.
Layers of pasta and - a little tangy - ground beef stacked together then topped with thick, brown and bubbly bechamel sauce that is not runny but not dry too ... what else can you look for?!!. This is a very common dish in Egyptian banquets specially in holidays.
A one dish meal, all you need is some salad to go along but nothing more I promise. Be aware that this dish is really addictive and not for dieting people. You can make it healthier though, by using a whole wheat pasta and making the bechamel with whole wheat flour also substituting butter with olive oil. This pasta can easily serve a crowd and - aside from making the bechamel- just takes 10 minutes to assemble, kid friendly and filling.
Before we get elbow deep into the recipe, there are a couple of findings that I would like to mention.
One of my friends recently stated that her mom does not cook with any fats, I was shocked 😱.
She mentioned that particularly this recipe, which always calls for a serious amounts of fat, she only roast the flour in the pan without any butter or oil. Of course, if you do that you will greatly jeopardize the taste. But this is a solution for people who miss this dish and cannot make it because of the amount of fat.
Frankly, if it was for me, I would make it as is... full fat and just take one serving and that's it. But anyways I wanted to mention this as it might help anyone out there.
Another thing is, I love having enough sauce so I make bechamel with 5 cups of liquid. Many people find 4 cups enought. It is just my preference. So let's see how to make it work.
First, we'll need to cook the pasta according to package directions, try to aim for an al dente level of cooking as the pasta will then continue to cook in the bechamel sauce in the oven. You can make this recipe gluten free by using something like rice pasta and of course use gluten free flour. I have no experience with gluten free cooking but I think you'll need to adjust the liquid amount accordingly.
Now, we'll prepare bechamel sauce, some people like to add the flour to the liquid in a blender and then heat it up to thicken along with some butter. This way they ensure no lumps form. Cooking flour in butter/oil has another depth of flavors which I ,among many others, like so I prefer this method. Just use your whisk when you cook the flour and when you pour in the liquids to ensure no a smooth sauce.
For the ground meat, saute onions in a pan then brown the meat, drain fat and near the end add some tomato paste, season and mix. Very simple and straight forward.
Take some of your prepared bechamel and spread it evenly at the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish, then top that with half of the pasta mixture. Layer minced meat over then top all of that with the remaining half of the pasta.
And then add one egg to the rest of the cooled bechamel sauce and mix well. This egg is optional, I like adding it as it helps brown the top nicely. Pour all this remaining bechamel over the top end even the surface. Pop in a preheated oven until it is bubbly and nicely browned.
Let it cook down for like 30 minutes so you will be able to handle better. Cut and serve with your favorite salad. A serious comfort and warming food especially in this cold weather.
I hope you'll like this recipe and please if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #amiraspantry — I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter!
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Baked bechamel pasta
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce box penne pasta.*
- 1 pound ground beef.
- 1 medium onion diced.
- 4 Tablespoon tomato paste.
- 4 cups of milk or a mixture of milk and broth. .**
- 12 Tablespoon flour.***
- ¼ cup of unsalted butter.****
- ¼ cup + 3 Tablespoons oil.****
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional: an egg.
Instructions
Cook Pasta:
- Cook pasta according to package directions, try to make it a bit chewy as it will continue cooking in the béchamel sauce in the oven.
- Drain and do not rinse. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pasta and stir to combine. Check seasoning of the pasta, adding more salt and pepper if you like.
Cook minced meat:
- In a pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon of oil, then sauté onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground meat and brown.
- Drain fat and add 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste, mixing everything well together. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
- Set aside.
Make the béchamel sauce:*****
- In a pan over medium heat, melt butter, add flour and whisk so no lumps form. Keep cooking the flour until it starts to bubble.
- Add the liquids gradually, one cup at a time whisking vigorously as the sauce will thicken.
- When it is bubbly and thick, turn off the heat, season with salt and pepper and let it cool down.
Assemble the dish and bake:
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste to the pasta and about half a cup of the béchamel sauce and mix well.
- In a 9x13 oven dish, spread another ½ cup of the béchamel sauce evenly at the bottom. Spread half the pasta , then layer the entire meat mixture over the pasta. Top that with the remaining half of the pasta and level.
- Crack an egg over the remaining béchamel sauce and whisk well.
- Pour the béchamel over the pasta and spread evenly.
- Bake in oven for almost 45 minutes or until it is golden brown.
- Let it cool down, cut and serve.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
** For the liquids used to make béchamel sauce, I prefer using half milk and half broth, any brith you have. If you like it extra saucy and creamy, add another cup of liquid so the total will be 5 cups, but do not forget to add 2 more Tablespoons of flour and another Tablespoon of oil or butter.
*** To get pasta squares that holds its shape while serving I use 3 Tablespoons of flour for each cup of liquid. If you care more for a liquid sauce that will be oozing from everywhere and a fall apart pieces use 2 tablespoons per cup of liquid. Some people even use one tablespoon but I've found that following this makes the béchamel sauce so runny and it sinks to the bottom of the dish leaving dry pasta up.
**** If you want a lighter version use all oil, olive oil or vegetable whatever you like. I've seen some people do not use fat AT ALL, they just roast flour in the hot pan then add the liquids, this might be a good option for people with health issues regarding fat, but of course taste will be different.
***** Some like adding mozzarella or parm. Cheese to the béchamel sauce or mixing them with the pasta itself. I like doing mine as my mama used to.. plain.
Nutrition
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Tara
Thank you for posting this recipe! My dad is from Egypt and we used to have this when we stayed with him as kids . I just wanted to ask do you think the recipe benefits from adding thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, parsley etc or not? Other recipes ask for this and I just wondered? Also the very top layer of mine came out dry. I’m not sure if my oven was too hot, in cooked it at 200 Celsius or whether it needs more sauce on top. Please help and thanks x
Amira
Hello Tara, thank you for trying this recipe. TBH I was brought up to this version of macarona bechamel where my mom and grandmother only used salt and pepper. I find adding extra spices is very personal, some may like it others don't for me particularly I do not like using nutmeg or thyme, but often times I use cinnamon in my ground beef mixture. I will readjust this recipe soon to reflect that. For the bechamel layer, do you mean there were not enough bechamel at the top? or the bechamel is too thick for your liking?
Sommer
Dear Amira,
Do you have any ideas on how to make a mini-bechamel for two people? It is just my husband and I and we really miss bechamel but it's too much for us (especially in Ramadan haha) Thank you always for your perfect recipes
Sommer
Amira
Sommer, there is a servings up there in the recipe card where you can print the recipe. If you click on the number it will show a slider bar to increase or decrease the servings. My suggestion is to make half a batch and freeze any leftover. Macaroni bechamel freezes really well. When you are ready to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge then reheat covered in the oven. Hope this helps.
Yostina
Please explain to me what I need to do to freeze it so that it stays the same consistency because I have tried this before and it changes the texture and the taste
Amira
Yostina, macarona bechamel is completely freezable just like pastitsio. You can fully bake it then wait for it to completely cool down, cover and freeze. Or you can wait for all the layer ingredients to cool down, assemble the dish then cover and freeze. Thaw in the fridge and then bake as directed. I hope this helps.
Samira
Just came along your blog and tried this recipe as it is and must say “woooow”. Sooo good! My husband loves it all well. Thanks for sharing
Amira
This is awesome Samira, this is dish is a must in the Egyptian cuisine and I think it was adapted from the Greek as well. Thank you so much for your feedback, I am so happy that you and your husband loved it.
Safie L
An excellent recipe, followed it exactly and turned out just how I remember it. Thank you so much.
Amira
Thanks Safie for trying this out, I am happy you liked it.
Fiona
I thought that I would give this recipe a go as we do enjoy Greek Pastitsio. This recipe was rather bland as it was without the magical spices and flavours of the Greek version that I usually prepare. I would have reduced the amount of pasta used for a softer consistency. Popular with little ones but needed to take the flavours up a notch, omitting egg, adding a little cheese and warm spices.
Manal
I think it is a matter of personal prefernce. For us macaroni béchamel is all about richness and enjoying the buttery béchamel sauce and the starchy pasta. Adding more spices will overpower it. My MIL puts little ground beef in the middle ( almost half of what is used here) so not to get in the way of pasta and béchamel. I like Amira's version because it gets the best of the two worlds.
Yumna
One of my favorites when I'm in Egypt.I have a request can you please post the recipe for roqaaq bel lahma that's another favourite but here in south Africa we don't get the dried roqaaq.shukran ukthi
Amira
Yumma dear, I saw your question on the roqaaq recipe and replied you can you please check it out? Thanks.
Evelyne CulturEatz
Well you really hooked me at "bechamel " lol. Looks really good, yummy and filling. I gained a pound just reading.
John/Kitchen Riffs
Good to see this dish return! It's terrific, and deserves an encore. Full fat for me -- more flavor that way. 🙂
Scotsgal
I live in Egypt and I have tried in vain,to obtain a good recipe for this dish. I decided to develop my own, which is just like Greek Pastitsio.
I used semi-skimmed milk and flour whisked together in the pan. I didn't use oil or butter. The one Egyptian tip I was given,is to crumble a stock cube like Knorr, into the sauce as it cooks. I also added one egg whisked in at the end. The sauce turns out perfectly and is not heavy at all
I cut calories in the meat sauce by using only a small amount of olive oil in the meat sauce.
The dish is not stodgy, and sets nicely if I leave it for 15 minutes before cutting it into squares.
I am so happy to see your recipe here Amira, and I will give it a go!
Amira
Scotsgal, thank you for your informative comment. This is indeed a recipe that almost every family in Egypt has its own recipe for according to their preference. I like your lightened version too, if you do not mind sharing it with me and my readers, it would be awesome. For the Knorr cubes, I use stock/broth in place of some of the milk. Thank you again for your input and I hope you'll like this recipe as well.
shery kelley
hello yes i just had one question for you where do you put the broth ? the direstions dont say thanks 🙂
Amira
Hi Shery, sorry for the confusion broth/milk or water are the liquids that you add during making the bechamel sauce. Some people prefer to make it all milk and others - like me- prefer to make it with half milk and half broth. I hope it is clear now :). If you have any more questions please ask. Thanks
Noor
Even in Saudi we love this one.
Henna
I LOVEEEEEEE pasta! This looks like it would make a perfect make-ahead meal, and even perfect for large gatherings! InshAllah I will be trying this in Ramadan 🙂
Olivia - Primavera Kitchen
I've never had baked pasta, but you’ve inspired me!
ela@GrayApron
I agree, pleasure, comfort...all in one dish! Bake pastas are the best!
ela h.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
That looks amazing! I've had a Greek version and I'd love to try the Egyptian version! 😀
Abbe@This is How I Cook
What a pretty pasta dish. It looks similar to the Greek pastitsio.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz
Great pasta dish, very sinful with delicious bechamel sauce! Looks so great!
Liz
My family would love this pasta dish! Definitely delicious, comfort food!
Nadia
I've always wanted an exact recipe for this one. I'll give this a go for sure.
Juliana
Nice pasta dish Amira, especially with the creamy sauce...looks delicious!
Hope you are having a super week 😀
Lail | With A Spin
I've had these during Ramadan potlucks at masjids, but never made them at home. I was telling my husband the other day that I need to get my hands on a recipe so I can make for Ramadan. What a perfect timing, Amira. Thank you for sharing a fabulous recipe.
Amira
You need to try your hands in this recipe, it is so so delicious Lail.
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)
Your opening description made me immediately hungry ... and I just had lunch!
Amira
Hahahaha wait till you get your hands on one piece 🙂
Coffee and Crumpets
My children had an Egyptian Arabic teacher and she used to make a fabulous macarona. Anytime we had a potluck at school, I'd look for her bechamel pasta. I haven't made it in a long time and you've reminded me how much I enjoy it! Yours looks wonderful. Thanks for the reminder!
Amira
good to know that you loved it Nazneen. We call this dish in Egypt macarona bel bachamel 🙂
John@Kitchen Riffs
Delish looking dish! I can never resist pasta of any description, and this looks so good. Bechamel plays so well with pasta, too. Plus this looks great! Perfect dish for me -- thanks.
Amira
It is a perfect dish for any pasta lover. Now I know we have something more in common :)/ Thanks John
Joanne T Ferguson
G'day! Your dish and photos looks terrific and wish I could come through the screen and try some now Amira! YUM!
Cheers! Joanne
Amira
Hi joanne, This is a real pleasure to eat. Thanks for your comment.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You
It looks quite addictive, Amira! I love pastas with creamy sauce. Enjoy the weekend!
Amira
It is very addictive Denise, I'm trying to limit myself to once every two months or so 🙂