Macarona Bechamel
Egyptian baked penne layered with fully cooked beef and homemade béchamel.
Preparation: 30 min · Cooking: 1 hr · Total: 1 hr 30 min · 6 servings
Ingredients
- 400 g dry penne pasta
- 300 g raw ground beef
- 200 g finely minced onion
- 4 tbsp ghee for béchamel
- 4 tbsp flour for béchamel
- 800 ml pasteurized whole milk
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp meat + 1 tsp sauce
- 1 tbsp additional ghee for meat and onion
- 1 tsp additional ghee for pan
- pasta cooking water per package and pot, drained
Instructions
Preheat and prepare the pan
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease one suitable baking dish with only the separate 1 tsp ghee. Heat 800 ml milk for the sauce; the master uses 800 ml, not 600 ml.
Heat 800 ml milk for the sauce; the master uses 800 ml, not 600 ml.
Cook the beef filling
Sauté 200 g onion in the separate 1 tbsp meat ghee over medium heat. Add 300 g raw beef, 1 tsp allspice and 1 tsp of the salt. Do not wash or taste raw meat; cook with checks from ten minutes until at least 71°C in several filling centres.
Do not wash or taste raw meat; cook with checks from ten minutes until at least 71°C in several filling centres.
Check after 10 minutes: 600 seconds
Boil the penne
Keep fully cooked filling covered at ≥60°C during any brief wait. Boil 400 g dry penne according to its package until firm and cooked through, then drain. Use package/pot-led water and no extra unallocated salt.
Use package/pot-led water and no extra unallocated salt.
Cook the roux
Melt all 4 tbsp sauce ghee in a pot and whisk in 4 tbsp flour over medium-low heat. Cook from two minutes until blond, without burning. Equal spoon volumes are not equal weights.
Equal spoon volumes are not equal weights.
Check after 2 minutes: 120 seconds
Whisk in milk
Gradually whisk in all 800 ml hot milk. Simmer with stirring from six minutes until smooth and flour fully cooked, then add the remaining 1 tsp salt. Do not taste raw flour sauce.
Do not taste raw flour sauce.
Check after 6 minutes: 360 seconds
Layer pasta and filling
Mix one third of all sauce into the drained pasta. Layer half the pasta, all cooked filling, then the other half pasta in the greased dish. Cover with the remaining two thirds sauce, using all components.
Cover with the remaining two thirds sauce, using all components.
Bake and check the centre
Bake at 200°C, checking from 35–40 minutes. Probe several central/thick points and continue until all reach at least 74°C, not just a browned top. Fourfold means four equivalent pans with 24 portions, not one thick casserole.
Fourfold means four equivalent pans with 24 portions, not one thick casserole.
Check after 35 minutes: 2100 seconds
Serve and store
Serve six portions. Base ghee totals 4 tbsp sauce + 1 tbsp filling + 1 tsp pan = 80 ml by volume. Refrigerate shallow leftovers within one hour at ≤4°C, use within 24 hours and reheat once to 74°C.
Refrigerate shallow leftovers within one hour at ≤4°C, use within 24 hours and reheat once to 74°C.
Tips
- Instruction quantities are for the original base yield; scale the ingredient list for other servings. Times are checking reminders, not proof of readiness.
Common mistakes
- Adding unlisted ingredients or extra fat changes the confirmed master. Do not use exterior colour as the only cooking check.
Substitutions
- Follow the listed food states and product labels; a different ingredient may require different handling and invalidate the stated storage limit.
Storage
Keep refrigerated at ≤4°C; use within 24 hours from preparation, including chilling time. Refrigerate promptly within one hour. These are conservative household limits, not a validated shelf life.
Reheating
Reheat only the portion needed, at most once, to 74°C throughout.
About this recipe
Egyptian baked penne layered with fully cooked beef and homemade béchamel.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.