Macarona Béchamel Recipe – Easy Egyptian Pasta Bake for a Crowd

Macarona Béchamel is the perfect dish to serve to a crowd. I made this for a dinner party and served it with garlic bread and a salad. It was a huge hit with the kids and adults alike. Kids always love pasta! So they will definitely love this macarona béchamel too. 

Preparation Time 30 minutes 

Cook Time 1 hour 

Serves 8 

Ingredients 

600 grams pasta- cooked to al dente and drained 

500 grams lean beef mince 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 large onion- chopped 

2 cloves garlic- minced 

2 cups/ 700 grams pureed tomatoes 

1 cup chicken stock 

2-3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

White Sauce 

1 cup butter 

1 cup flour 

1 litre milk- warm 

Salt and pepper- to taste 

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 chicken stock cube 

500 grams shredded cheese 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TihXn4eij8

Instructions 

1. Boil the pasta to al dente. Drain the water and set the pasta aside for later. 

2. Sauté the onions in the olive oil, in a large pot over a low heat for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the meat and cook it through for 5-7 minutes until golden brown and well cooked. Add the Italian seasoning and tomato paste and mix it in. 

3. Add the pureed tomatoes, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes. 

4. In the meantime, let’s make the béchamel: melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and whisk it all in over a low heat until it becomes fragrant. It should smell slightly nutty, but be careful not to burn it. 

5. Slowly pour in the warm milk while whisking to prevent lumps from forming. Ad the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and stock cube. Cook it over a low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

6. Mix 2 cups of the white sauce in with the pasta. Make sure the pasta is coated in the white sauce. 

7. Pour half the pasta into the base of a large pyrex dish. Top with the meat sauce, then top with the remaining pasta. Finally pour the remaining white sauce over the top. Top with the shredded cheese. 

8. Cover the dish with foil and bake the macarona béchamel at 200c for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake it uncovered for 20 minutes further. Broil for 3-4 minutes until golden.