Pasta lovers, assemble! I have a recipe that will certainly make its way onto your platter. Macarona bil bechamel, or bechamel pasta bake, is a popular pasta casserole in the Middle East. It is known for being one of the best comfort foods out there.
This Macarona Bil bechamel is an Egyptian dish, made of pasta, creamy bechamel, cheese, and minced meat. This dish is perfect for entertaining crowds, it is extremely easy to prepare, and the kids will love it!
Eat Up!
Your Go-To Dish!
This dish is very popular in the Middle East, and for valid reasons!
Macarona bil bechamel is a cozy, comfort food that will warm your heart during cold winter days. But you can enjoy it all year round.
This pasta bake dish does not only make you feel good, but it tastes insanely good too. The combination of pasta with creamy bechamel sauce, minced meat, and ooey-gooey cheese is unmatched!
Who could say no to a good casserole? For this Macarona Bechamel, you get to throw your ingredients, cook, and serve in the same dish. It is so convenient, easy, and mess-free.
It is a perfect make-ahead dish for busy days. You have two ways to go about this, you can either bake it, then store it in the fridge for the next day, or, assemble, cover it well and freeze it. Then, when you’re ready to enjoy, thaw it in the fridge, preferably overnight, bake and serve.
Add It to Your Menu!
Tips for the Best Macarona Bil Bechamel
For the bechamel sauce, it is recommended to use room-temperature milk, it combines more easily.
When making your bechamel sauce, make sure to add the milk gradually because if you pour it all at once, you might end up with a lumpy sauce.
Make sure to keep whisking throughout the whole cooking process.
The thickness of this macarona bil bechamel is adjustable. If you prefer to have more sauce in your pasta, you could add a little bit of milk. ½ to 1 cup should be enough.
Serve with a bowl of fresh salad.
Look at that Stretchy Cheese!
Macarona Bil Bechamel Variations
You can always get creative when it comes to cooking; you can add and omit ingredients as you see fit. Here are a few suggestions
For this recipe, I opted for shredded mozzarella cheese, but if you feel like trying something else then go ahead. Parmesan cheese works perfectly with this pasta bake casserole. Some like to omit the cheese altogether and you can totally do that if you feel like it.
It is possible to add egg yolks to your bechamel sauce as it helps brown the top.
If you want to make it healthier, you can substitute butter for olive, and use whole wheat pasta and flour.
How Creamy Does this Look?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The type of pasta doesn’t really matter, but it is recommended to use penne pasta or rigatoni pasta as they can hold the mixture better. You could go for spaghetti if you would like, but it might look a little messy.
You can store your Macarona bil Bechamel in an airtight container for up 3-5 days in the fridge.
You can reheat your pasta bake in the oven at 350F, or in the microwave for 3 minutes until it’s nice and hot.
Al dente means to the tooth in Italian, and it is the perfect consistency of the pasta, not too soft but not hard. To achieve this, make sure to follow the directions written on the box.
Everyone Deserves A Slice!
Ingredients
Penne or rigatoni pasta
80/20 beef
Large yellow onion
Tomato sauce
Cinnamon
7 spice
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Black pepper
Coriander powder
Oil
Shredded mozzarella
Bechamel Sauce
Butter
Flour
Cinnamon
Bullion powder
Milk
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Steps To Prep
Follow these step-by-step instructions for the best Macarona Bil Bechamel:
First, cook the pasta until al dente and set aside.
To Make the Beef Sauce
Sauté an onion in some oil until translucent then add the ground beef.
Then, mix it around and add the spices and tomato sauce and cook until completely done. Set aside.
To Make the Bechamel Sauce
Start by melting some unsalted butter in a pot on medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk together well until smooth and not clumpy.
Once whisked, add in the milk, bullion powder, and cinnamon and mix again. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens but is smooth.
To Layer
Spray your baking dish with nonstick spray.
Next, add half of your pasta and add a bit of bechamel sauce just to evenly coat the pasta. Mix them together to make sure each piece is coated.
Then, add the beef sauce on top, then optionally, you can add ⅓ cup of mozzarella. Top it off with the rest of the pasta and the rest of the bechamel sauce.
Finally, cover and bake at 450 for 25 minutes before removing the cover, adding the cheese, and covering again. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is all melty and you can broil for some color.
Serve up and enjoy!
Here’s the Final Product
Recipes You Must Try:
Middle Eastern Kufta Bil Tahiniye
Chicken Maqluba (Flipped Upside Down)
Meat Stuffed Pitas (Palestinian Arayes)
Palestinian Cauliflower Fritters (Emshat)
Traditional Palestinian Musakhan Recipe
Middle Eastern Spiced Baked Chicken
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Macarona Bil Bechamel (Bechamel Pasta Bake)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne or rigatoni pasta
- ½ pound 80/20 beef
- ½ large yellow onion
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons 7 spice
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Bechamel sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3½ tablespoons flour
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon bullion powder
- 3 cups milk
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente and set aside.
To Make the Beef Sauce
- Sauté an onion in some oil until translucent then add the ground beef.
- Mix it around and add the spices and tomato sauce and cook until completely done. Set aside.
To Make the Bechamel
- Melt some unsalted butter in a pot on medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk together well until smooth and not clumpy.
- Once whisked, add in the milk, bullion powder, and cinnamon and mix again. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens but is smooth.
To Layer
- Spray your baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Add half of your pasta and add a bit of bechamel sauce just to evenly coat the pasta. Mix them together to make sure each piece is coated.
- Add the beef sauce on top, then optionally you can add ⅓ cup of mozzarella. Top it off with the rest of the pasta and the rest of the bechamel sauce.
- Cover and bake at 450 for 25 minutes before removing the cover, adding the cheese, and covering again. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is all melty and you can broil for some color.
Notes
- For the bechamel sauce, it is recommended to use room-temperature milk, it combines more easily.
- When making your bechamel sauce, make sure to add the milk gradually because if you pour it all at once you might end up with a lumpy sauce.
- Make sure to keep whisking throughout the whole cooking process.
- The thickness of this Macarona bil bechamel is adjustable. If you prefer to have more sauce in your pasta, you could add a little bit of milk. ½ to 1 cup should be enough.
- Serve with a bowl of salad.
8 Responses
I’m here about to put in the oven, everything this talented cook makes looks and is beyond delicious! Also I had a question and she most definitely helped me out in regards to the pasta 10/10 for the amazing efforts she puts in making these delicious dishes for everyone else to learn!
I found this recipe on the same day that I had planned to make pasta but I’m so glad I didn’t make the typical pasta I was planning to make. This recipe is so packed with flavor and creaminess, it’s unbelievable! I think I might’ve found my new favorite recipe! It’s so easy to follow and make, and I had all the ingredients at home already. Perfect for a weeknight meal so you can eat leftovers for lunch the next day!
This was so easy to make and tasted delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Made this pasta dish for my husband and I today. Super cheesy and delicious!! My husband and I both had seconds. Served with a nice big bowl of salad to complete the meal. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
So creamy and delicious and full of flavor !! Best tasting bechmel recipe I’ve tried and I’ve tried many. A must try and will become a go to meal 🤤🤤
Your instructions made this very to follow…came out perfectly. Thank you!
This is a delicious quick recipe that my husband and kids loved! It goes together so easily for those dinner nights you don’t have a long time to prepare! Will be making again!
This has become my favorite pasta! it’s SO flavorful & everyone loves it 🙂 the sauce is so easy to make too, usually i can’t cook anything from scratch 😅