I really hope you enjoy this Bechamel Pasta Recipe. If you do, please let me know in the comments below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
It’s a little insane how delicious this bechamel pasta bake is.
I’m so deeply in love with it and I still get surprised with every single bite at how good it tastes.
It’s the most perfect main dish. So filling and delicious.
I mean…
Imagine tender pasta in a baking dish topped with ground beef that’s been caramelized to perfection and cooked in a scrumptious tomato sauce. The rich meat sauce is then topped with more pasta and everything is topped with creamy bechamel sauce and baked.
That bechamel sauce forms the most beautiful golden brown crust in the oven that’s filled with so much flavor and hey, everything else…
Oh boy, baking everything in the oven leads to all those flavors working so beautifully together.
Those layers of pasta absorb all the flavors of the saucy tomatoey meat sauce and creamy sauce while that rich meaty sauce absorbs the richness of the bechamel sauce giving us the most beautiful combination of flavors.
It’s the ultimate marriage of flavors that works incredibly well 💖.
You’re gonna be so happy having this bechamel pasta bake.
Oh and hey, here are a few more reasons why you’ll adore this bechamel pasta recipe-
- It’s SO easy to make! I know it may look a little complicated but trust me it’s not. Plus, with all my detailed instructions, things will get even easier! This is an amazingly easy Egyptian recipe that everyone on the dinner table will love.
- This macarona bechamel recipe is a delicious Egyptian dish but please don’t get intimidated. This gorgeous recipe uses no difficult to find exotic ingredients at all! My recipe uses only two commonly found aromatic herbs and spices (psst, it’s ground cinnamon and oregano!).
- This Egyptian bechamel pasta recipe is the ultimate comfort food to cozy up with and have as a weeknight dinner. But hey, it’s also impressive and delicious enough to make for a crowd on special occasions. This recipe does it all!
- It’s a gorgeously exotic dish and a must try for pasta lovers and well, anyone who is interested in trying different dishes from around the world. Egyptian cuisine? Mmmm ❤!
If you love the sound of this recipe you will love these as well:
How comforting are some recipes, right? Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Baked in the Oven Recipes, Chicken & Meat and Fall recipes.
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THIS BECHAMEL PASTA RECIPE
For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.
To make the pasta:
- Water– Add according to the package instructions.
- Salt– Add as much as you prefer. But hey, make sure you add a good amount of salt. We don’t want bland pasta and well salted water helps prevent that!
- Pasta– I’ve used penne pasta here and that’s commonly used when making macarona bechamel. But hey, you can use any pasta you prefer. I prefer tubular pasta when making this recipe. Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Every pasta works here so if you have only lasagna noodles or spaghetti at home, don’t worry. You can still make this recipe.
To make the meat sauce:
- Cooking oil- Go ahead and use any cooking oil you prefer here. You can use olive oil too, I usually prefer olive oil here.
- Onion- Some diced caramelized onion adds so much flavor in this Egyptian recipe. You can use any type of onion here.
- Ground beef- For that perfect beefy flavor, yum ❤.
- Salt and pepper- Absolute seasoning essentials. You can use black pepper or white pepper here.
- Garlic- Smashed and minced garlic as usual for the best flavor in your rich meat sauce. I don’t even need to tell you how perfect garlic tastes with that gorgeously browned beef.
- Sugar- A bit of a strange ingredient here maybe BUT an absolute essential! Sugar cuts down on the acidity from the tomatoes and balances out all those delicious flavors.
- Tomato paste- For a little more concentrated tomato flavor.
- Tomato sauce or Passata- To make our minced beef deliciously tomatoey and saucy in this bechamel pasta bake.
- Ground cinnamon- I wanted to keep the aromatic herbs and spices to a minimum in my bechamel pasta recipe so I choose cinnamon to add to the minced beef. Cinnamon with its warm and very slight touch of spicy flavor works pretty well with our beef here. You can use other spices that are popular in the Middle East when cooking too!
- Oregano- That strong earthy flavor of oregano works well with our minced beef. You can substitute with or add more dried herbs or Italian seasoning of your choice here.
To make the bechamel sauce:
- Unsalted butter- I prefer using unsalted butter in this creamy white sauce because we add chicken broth too and I’m always afraid things will get too salty. You can use salted butter as well but maybe skip out on adding salt later or give your creamy bechamel sauce a taste before adding it.
- All purpose flour- An essential when making this bechamel sauce pasta. Helps with thickening the sauce well and gives it that characteristic consistency.
- Whole milk- Another essential when making this creamy white sauce. Warming your milk a little before pouring it in will help here. Warm milk prevents everything from clumping up.
- Chicken broth or chicken stock- Try and warm your chicken broth or chicken stock a little before pouring it in, makes things easier. I love the flavor chicken broth adds to our bechamel sauce recipe. I adore flavoring my bechamel sauce with an added smashed garlic clove too sometimes but I wanted to keep this recipe simple for you so I tried reducing the ingredients. If you don’t have chicken broth or don’t want to use it, go ahead and replace it with another broth you prefer or with the same amount of whole milk.
- Salt and pepper- Essentials as usual. Always give your creamy sauce a taste before adding them in! You can use white pepper or black pepper here.
To garnish (optional):
- You can use fresh cilantro, parsley, thyme or any fresh or dry herbs you prefer for a gorgeous green contrast and fresh flavor on the dinner table.
Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.
HOW TO MAKE THIS BECHAMEL PASTA RECIPE [Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos]
Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤.
STEP 1: BOIL THE PASTA
Before getting right into it, get the oven ready. Preheat the oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Now, make your pasta. Follow the package instructions and boil your pasta in a large pot of hot well salted water until al dente.
While your pasta is boiling, go ahead and get all the other ingredients ready.
Once your pasta is done, drain and keep it on the side.
STEP 2: MAKE THE MEAT SAUCE
1) CARAMELIZE THE BEEF AND ONIONS:
Ooh my favorite part!
To a large skillet over medium heat, pour in olive oil or whatever cooking oil you’re using.
Then add in the diced onion.
Sauté for about 2 minutes until it’s softened.
Push the onions to a corner and add in your ground beef.
Please don’t mix the onions and beef and don’t touch anything in the pan.
Spread the beef in its corner and add salt over the ground beef and onions.
Wait for about 9 to 12 minutes until the beef and onions brown up gorgeously (this depends on your meat, stove and pan). We want the liquid in the pan to dry out and we want our beef and onions to caramelize. This will give it a delicious rich beefy flavor ❤.
During this time, you can gently stir the onions in their corner if they’re starting to caramelize. We want caramelized onions and browned beef here.
Once you see the beef start to get a gorgeous crust on the sides (you can gently use your ladle to see under the beef if it’s brown enough too!), go ahead and mix it with the caramelized onions while breaking it up.
Stir well together for a minute or 2.
2) ADD ALL THE OTHER INGREDIENTS:
Now add in the minced garlic and stir well for about a minute or two.
Then add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, white pepper or black pepper, sugar, oregano and ground cinnamon.
Mix everything together for about 2 to 3 minutes. Smash the beef more if you want as you mix.
Now cover that delicious meat sauce and let it cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.
That sauce needs to be thick so it sits nicely over the pasta.
Once 10 minutes are up, lift the lid and stir. Give the meat sauce a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed ❤.
Switch off the heat, cover the meat sauce and set aside.
STEP 3: MAKE THE BECHAMEL SAUCE
Time to make our creamy bechamel sauce. It’s really easy to make so don’t worry ❤.
A few things to keep ready would be a whisk, warm milk and warm chicken broth. Warm milk and warm chicken broth mix in better without clumping everything up.
Now…
1) MAKE THE ROUX:
Take a Dutch oven, large saucepan or large pot.
Over medium heat (no high heat or even medium high heat here!) add in the butter. Melt butter in the pan.
Melt butter until it has completely melted.
Once the butter has melted, slowly in parts add the all purpose flour to the melted butter while whisking continuously (don’t add it all at once).
Let it cook for about 2 to 3 minutes while you whisk it. It’ll look like a light paste and may bubble a little.
2) ADD THE OTHER INGREDIENTS:
Now, slowly start pouring the warm milk in parts while whisking continiously. Don’t add everything at once!
The mixture will thicken up as you pour in the milk. Don’t worry, this is normal. Just continue whisking while pouring in the milk.
Once you’re done pouring the remaining milk, pour in the warm chicken broth while whisking continuously.
Now keep whisking the mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes until it comes to a simmer, gets a smooth consistency and thickens up a little. This happens fast so be careful.
Please keep in mind that this sauce will thicken up even more as it cools down once we take it off the heat.
In this recipe, it’s best if your bechamel sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without completely dripping off.
If you draw a line/path on the back of a spoon with the bechamel sauce on it, the path should stay separate and should not meet (at least immediately) as shown in the picture below.
Switch off the heat and give your bechamel sauce a taste.
Add salt and black pepper or white pepper if needed, cover and set aside.
STEP 4: ASSEMBLE EVERYTHING AND BAKE
Add about 3/4 cup of bechamel sauce to your cooked and drained pasta and mix well.
Now take a large baking dish or casserole dish.
Add about 2 to 3 table spoons of bechamel sauce to the bottom of the dish and spread well. This prevents the pasta from burning and/or sticking to the bottom.
Now add about half of the cooked pasta. You can do this neatly in one or two layers of pasta with the pasta facing the same direction (it’ll give a pretty look to the finished bechamel pasta bake) or you can just roughly add the pasta in. It’s your choice.
Then add all the meat on top of the pasta layers. Spread it well.
And then add the remaining pasta over the meat sauce once again facing the same way if you like or roughly. I usually add a single layer here and if I have some more pasta left I just top the pasta layer up with that extra pasta.
Now pour the remaining bechamel sauce on top of the assembled pasta and spread well (you can use a spatula too if you like). I love a nice thick creamy layer of bechamel sauce on top of the pasta.
Bake it at 375 F or 190 C for about 40 to 45 minutes. Then broil for about 15 minutes or until the top is browned to your liking ❤.
Then, carefully remove the pasta bake from the oven…
Cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil for at least 10 to 15 minutes. This will keep the moisture in and waiting for it to cool will make it easy for you to cut through without a problem.
Once 10 to 15 mins are up, remove the cover…
You can optionally garnish with some freshly chopped herbs like cilantro, parsely, thyme etc…
Now take a bite! How amazing does that taste 😍?
Hey you, I really hope you love this Bechamel Pasta Recipe as much as I do!
If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).
Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.
Also, if you have any questions about this recipe, make sure to check out our FAQs section below to maybe find your answer there, or leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, I promise 😊.
CREAMY Macarona Bechamel Pasta Recipe (White Sauce Bake)
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- water (according to the package instructions)
- salt (make sure to salt your pasta water well)
- 8 oz or 225 gms penne pasta (can use whatever type of pasta you prefer, tubular pasta works best)
For the meat sauce:
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (I prefer olive oil here but you can use whatever cooking oil you prefer)
- ½ medium sized or 90 gms onion diced (can use red, white or yellow)
- 1 lb or 16 oz or 454 gms ground beef (can use ground chicken as well)
- 1 tsp salt or according to taste
- 3 medium-sized cloves of garlic smashed and minced
- ¼ tsp black pepper or white pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup or 250 gms tomato sauce or passata
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp dried oregano
For the bechamel sauce:
- ½ cup or 8 tbsp or 114 gms unsalted butter (can use salted butter but taste in the end before adding any more salt)
- ½ cup or 7½ tbsp or 60 gms all purpose flour
- 2 cups or 500 ml whole milk (warming it a little will help!)
- ½ cup or 120 ml chicken broth (can use any type of broth) (warming it a little will help as well)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper or white pepper
To garnish (optional):
- chopped fresh herbs (can use cilantro, parsely, thyme etc)
( Note- Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips & tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤ )
Instructions
BOIL THE PASTA
- First preheat the oven to 375℉ or 190℃.Now, follow the package instructions and in a large pot add water and salt accordingly. Boil 8 oz or 225 gms penne pasta in the hot well salted water until al dente.While your pasta is boiling, get all the other ingredients ready. Once the pasta is done, drain and keep it on the side.
MAKE THE MEAT SAUCE
- Caramelize the beef and onions:To a large skillet over medium heat, pour in 1 tbsp cooking oil or olive oil or whatever oil you prefer using.Now add diced ½ medium sized or 90 gms onion. Sauté for about 2 minutes until it’s softened.Push the onions to a corner in the same skillet, and add and spread your 1 lb or 16 oz or 454 gms ground beef in its other corner. Don’t mix the onions and beef and don’t touch anything in the pan for about 9 to 12 minutes or until the beef has caramelized and turned brown in the corners.Add 1 tsp salt over the ground beef and onions. We want the liquid in the pan to dry out and we want our beef and onions to caramelize. This will give it a delicious beefy flavor ❤.During this time, you can gently stir the onions in their corner if they’re starting to caramelize.Once you see the beef start to get a gorgeous crust on the sides (you can gently use your ladle to see under the beef if it’s brown enough too), mix it with the caramelized onions while breaking it up.Stir well together for a minute or 2.
- Add all the other ingredients:Add minced 3 medium-sized cloves of garlic and stir well for about a minute or two.Then add 1 cup or 250 gms tomato sauce or passata, 1 tbsp tomato paste, ¼ tsp black pepper or white pepper, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp dried oregano and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon.Mix everything together for about 2 to 3 minutes. You can smash the beef more if you want as you mix.Cover the meat sauce and let it cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.We need that sauce to be thick so it can sit nicely over the pasta.Once 10 minutes are up, lift the lid and stir. Give the meat sauce a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed ❤.Get the meat sauce off the heat, cover and set it aside.
MAKE THE BECHAMEL SAUCE
- Make the roux:A few things to keep ready would be a whisk, warm 2 cups or 500 ml whole milk and warm ½ cup or 120 ml chicken broth.Take a Dutch oven, large saucepan or large pot.Over medium heat (no high heat oreven medium high heat here!) add ½ cup or 8 tbsp or 114 gms unsalted butter.Melt butter in the pan.Now slowly in parts add ½ cup or 7½ tbsp or 60 gms all purpose flour to the melted butter while whisking continuously (don’t add it all at once).Let it cook for about 2 to 3 minutes while you whisk it. It’ll look like a light paste and may bubble a little.
- Add the other ingredients:Now, slowly start pouring warmed 2 cups or 500 ml whole milk in parts while whisking continuously. Don’t pour in all the milk at once. The mixture will thicken up as you pour in the milk, this is normal ❤. Just continue whisking while pouring in the milk.Once you’re done pouring the milk, pour in the warm ½ cup or 120 ml chicken broth while whisking continuously.Keep whisking the mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes until it comes to a simmer, gets a smooth consistency and thickens up a bit. Remember that this sauce will thicken up even more as it cools down once we take it off the heat.The sauce will thicken up fast over the heat so be careful.In this recipe, I prefer the bechamel sauce to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without completely dripping off. If you draw a line/path on it, the path should stay separate and should not meet (at least immediately) as shown in the picture below.Once your sauce has reached this consistency, switch off the heat and give your bechamel sauce a taste.Add ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper or white pepper if needed, cover and set aside.
ASSEMBLE EVERYTHING AND BAKE
- Add ¾ cup of bechamel sauce to your boiled pasta and mix well.Now take a large baking dish or casserole dish.Add about 2 to 3 table spoons of bechamel sauce to the bottom of the dish and spread well.This prevents the pasta from burning and/or sticking to the bottom.Now add about half of the cooked pasta. You can do this neatly in one or two layers of pasta with the pasta facing the same direction (it’ll give a pretty look to the finished bechamel pasta bake) or you can just roughly add the pasta in. It’s up to you.Now add all the meat sauce on top of the pasta layers. Spread it well.And then add the remaining pasta over the meat sauce once again facing the same way if you like or roughly. I usually add a single layer of pasta here and if I have some extra pasta left, I just top the pasta layer up with it.Now pour the remaining bechamel sauce on top of the assembled pasta and spread well (you can use a spatula too if you like). I adore a nice thick creamy layer of bechamel sauce on top of the pasta.Pop it in the oven and bake at 375℉ or 190℃ for about 40 to 45 minutes. Then broil for about 15 minutes or until the top is browned to your liking ❤.Now carefully remove the pasta bake from the oven and cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil for at least 10 to 15 minutes. This will keep the moisture in and waiting for it to cool will make it easier for you to cut through it without a problem.Once 10 to 15 minutes are up, remove the cover and garnish with some chopped fresh herbs of your choice.Now take a bite! How amazing does that taste 😍? Now that you’ve reached the end of the instructions and have probably tried this dish, can you please leave a rating and comment below letting me know how you liked it? I take EVERY comment seriously and it’ll make my day! Pretty please?
Notes ✍🏼
- Leave your onions and ground beef be for some time when making this baked white sauce pasta recipe. And then simmer the beef sauce for at least 10 minutes to get the most delicious flavors EVER!
- Please follow my instructions, especially when following my bechamel sauce recipe. Don’t add the all purpose flour all at once, don’t overcook your roux, add the milk in parts, make sure the milk is warm to make things easier and keep whisking to get that perfectly smooth consistency.
- If you want to make your white bechamel pasta and pizza sauce thinner, you can add a little more milk and keep whisking until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Cook the pasta al dente. We don’t want it to get all soft and mushed up when it’s being layered with the meat sauce and bechamel sauce.
- Leave the baked pasta bechamel be for at least 10 to 15 minutes covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This will keep the moisture in and will also help it set, making it easy to cut through.
- Got leftovers? Store your Egyptian macarona bechamel in an airtight container in the refrigerator once it reaches room temperature. It’ll stay good for about 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. You can also wrap the dish with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
Nutrition (per serving)
The nutritional information given here is only an estimate.
Please read our full Nutrition Information Disclaimer to learn more.Did you make this recipe?
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Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Main Dish Recipes (Lunches & Dinners), Pasta and Stovetop Recipes.
WHAT IS THIS BECHAMEL PASTA RECIPE (MACARONA BECHAMEL)?
Say hello to this macarona bechamel recipe.
And like literally everything cooked in the Middle East, it’s delicious ❤.
This Egyptian macarona bechamel is an incredible dish that belongs to the Egyptian cuisine.
It’s made by arranging layers of pasta in a baking dish, topping it with some delicious caramelized ground beef that’s been cooked in a tomato sauce, topping it with some more pasta and then covering it all with some rich creamy bechamel sauce and baking it to golden brown perfection.
The result is a delicious dish that’s the ultimate comfort food.
All those flavors and textures work together so well, the creaminess from the bechamel sauce and the meaty tomatoey flavors from the meat sauce mixing in with al dente pasta layers to give us a dish that tastes like it’s out of the world ❤.
Those flavors really balance each other out.
Plus, the bechamel sauce develops the most deliciously golden brown crust in the oven which tastes so good, I can’t!
This bechamel pasta bake is scrumptious and pretty popular in the Middle East. I’ve had so many versions of it myself when I lived there.
Every family has their own version of this Egyptian recipe with some adding cheese on top of the assembled pasta, some adding heavy cream to the creamy bechamel sauce, some using their own unique blend of aromatic herbs to add to the meat sauce, etc.
This Egyptian pasta bake is so delicious and comforting, you can go ahead and have it as a cozy meal or make it for special occasions too.
When we talk about layered pasta bake recipes, there are so many around the world. There’s lasagna made with lasagna noodles, meat and cheese which is super popular. There is Greek pastitsio too which resembles this Egyptian macarona bechamel quite a bit but uses Greek spices and cheese!
Pasta is just so delicious and its incredible how many different pasta recipes exist around the world. If you’re a pasta lover or know any pasta lovers out there, this Egyptian dish is a must try ❤.
Ooh and hey, this Egyptian pasta with bechamel sauce dish is mistakenly called macaroni bechamel, macaroni with bechamel or even Egyptian macaroni bechamel in the west. It’s actually macarona bechamel.
You can share your stories with this recipe in the comments below too whether this is the first time you’re trying this recipe or if you’ve already had it multiple times before, I would love to hear all about it!
FUN SERVING SUGGESTIONS
This baked pasta with bechamel sauce is delicious and tastes absolutely incredible on its own. Everyone on the dinner table will adore it, every single time ❤.
- Go ahead and serve this ground beef and bechamel sauce pasta recipe with soft buttery garlic bread. A classic with pasta.
- You can also add some mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, white cheddar or whatever you prefer over the bechamel pizza sauce in the last 15 minutes before broiling it to get the most delicious stretch of cheese (in case you’re using mozzarella cheese or white cheddar) and rich flavor (in case you’re using parmesan cheese)!
- You can also sprinkle some red chili flakes over your delicious bechamel pasta once it’s fresh out of the oven before serving it to add a touch of spice and heat 🔥.
- For a wholesome weeknight dinner, serve this Egyptian pasta with a simple side salad made with veggies you love such as onion, sweet corn, green peppers (bell pepper) and whatever you like. A simple side salad will add that perfect crunch and freshness to this dish. Or you can try it with this delicious Easy Chicken Salad Recipe with Fried Chicken.
- Top this baked white sauce pasta recipe with fresh cilantro, parsley or any other fresh or dried herbs you like.
- And you can use smaller pans too, this is perfect for special occasions. If you’re making this dish for a party or so, you can use individual smaller pans or small casseroles to make this pasta. This way, everyone will have their own small casserole dish. It’s a unique and cute idea! Arrange everything the same way I’ve mentioned here in those smaller pans, bake and serve!
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST BECHAMEL PASTA RECIPE
This Egyptian macarona bechamel is one of the best recipes with bechamel sauce ever! It’s also pretty easy but of course, there are things you can keep in mind to make this recipe even easier and get the best version of it every single time you cook it.
Here are a few tips:
- Please leave your onions and ground beef be for some time when making this baked white sauce pasta recipe. That extra caramelization will take the flavors of your meat sauce to a whole other level ✨. And then simmer the beef sauce over low heat for at least 10 minutes to get the most delicious flavors on this planet!
- Please follow my instructions, especially when following my bechamel sauce recipe. Don’t add the all purpose flour all at once to the melted butter, don’t overcook your roux, add the milk in parts (don’t add the remaining milk all at once!), make sure the milk is warm to make things easier and keep whisking to get that perfectly smooth consistency. This is important in this bechamel sauce recipe for pasta.
- If you want to make your white bechamel pasta and pizza sauce thinner, you can add a little more milk, keep whisking until it reaches your preferred consistency. The consistency I’ve stuck to here is what I feel is perfect when making this delicious comfort food. I don’t prefer the sauce to be too thin or else the entire dish will collapse nor too thick or else the dish may be all dry.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Cooking the pasta al dente will lead to it being firm when baking. We don’t want it to get all soft and mushed up when it’s being layered with the meat sauce and bechamel sauce.
- Make sure you follow my order of layering. We don’t want the pasta to get burnt and stuck to the bottom.
- Leave the baked pasta bechamel be for at least 10 to 15 minutes covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This will keep the moisture in and will also help it set, making it easy to cut through it.
- Got leftovers of this Egyptian bechamel pasta? Wait until it reaches room temperature. Then, go ahead and store your Egyptian macarona bechamel in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’ll stay good for about 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. You can also wrap the dish with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
RECIPE & DIET VARIATIONS YOU CAN TRY
This Egyptian dish is one of the best recipes with bechamel sauce ever. There are so many ways you can play around with its flavors, it’s amazing.
- You can use whatever pasta you prefer if you don’t have penne. You can go ahead and use any tubular pasta you like! You can also try using chickpea pasta.
- You also don’t need to stick to ground beef here. You can use ground chicken or whatever meat you prefer too!
- You can add veggies to the meaty ground beef sauce as well. Go ahead and add some chopped carrots, green peppers (bell pepper), sweet corn or maybe even mushrooms.
- And if you want to skip out on meat completely, you can use your favorite veggie or many veggies instead of ground beef such as potatoes, bell pepper, mushrooms, cauliflower…
- Work with the spices! I love the flavors of cinnamon and oregano here in the meat sauce but you can add allspice, ground coriander, seven spices, some ground clove, whatever Italian seasoning you prefer and/or maybe some onion or garlic powder too!
- Oh and if you want a nice kick of spice, a great way to add some would be by adding some red chili flakes, paprika or cayenne pepper to your ground beef tomato sauce!
- Add some extra flavor to your creamy white sauce. Bechamel sauce can literally be called a “blank canvas”. It’s called a blank canvas because there’s so much you can do with this sauce! This is an Egyptian recipe and so many Egyptian families have their own version of it. When I asked around, I heard how some add heavy cream or even cheese to their bechamel sauce for an even creamier sauce. You can also try adding a smashed garlic clove, garlic powder or a bay leaf (a bay leaf is commonly added!) to the sauce. Many people add a pinch of nutmeg (I’m not into this flavor much). Some people add egg yolks for richness to the bechamel sauce too. You can try with egg yolks as well as whole eggs here.
- Go ahead and add some cheese in between the layers of pasta here (or wherever you prefer). You can use mozzarella cheese (mozarella cheese will give you an amazing stretch!). You can top everything up with some more mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese (for a delish intense flavor!) or even white cheddar.
- I haven’t tried it this way but if you want to skip out on milk, you can try using soy milk (I’ve heard soy milk works well) and vegan butter instead of butter here.
- You can also use gluten-free pasta (such as chickpea pasta) and gluten-free flour if you want to make this recipe gluten-free. I haven’t tried it this way but I’ve heard it can work!
Note- If you think you have an ingredient that you feel is suitable as a substitute for a certain ingredient in this recipe, according to your dietary preference, you can use it and let us know how it works as a substitute in the comments below. I’ll then add it in as an adaptation suggestion here. This will help so many others with the same diet preference as yours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Both Alfredo and bechamel sauce are absolutely delicious. They’re both creamy white sauces.
The difference comes in the ingredients and flavor. Authentic Alfredo sauce is made with butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano and pasta water. Today there are many different versions of Alfredo sauce commonly made with butter, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Other ingredients like garlic and different herbs are added to it too. Check out my Easy Cajun Alfredo Sauce Recipe for a creamy delicious Alfredo sauce with a hint of spice.
Bechamel sauce on the other hand is made with butter, milk and all purpose flour whisked to creamy perfection.
When it comes to the flavor, Alfredo sauce has a rich deep flavor thanks to the Parmesan cheese and heavy cream while Bechamel sauce has a delicately mild and creamy flavor. It’s more of a blank canvas you can do so much with.
The spices and herbs typically used to season bechamel sauce are regular salt and pepper as well as a bay leaf or two, some add a pinch of nutmeg (I’m not into this flavor much),
You can add whatever you like to your bechamel sauce when making this Egyptian bechamel. Many Egyptian families make it their own by adding heavy cream, a crushed garlic clove, cheese as well as fresh or dried herbs of their choice.
Here are a few things I do to get a lump-free bechamel sauce-
- Constantly whisk. This is the most important tip ever. My hand is usually all sore once I’m done making bechamel sauce, that’s how much I whisk it! Whisk constantly, when you’re adding the all purpose flour, when you’re pouring in the milk, when you’re pouring in the chicken broth and even after you’re done pouring everything until you reach your desired consistency.
- Don’t add the all purpose flour all at once to the melted butter.
- Pour in the milk in parts as well.
- And make sure the milk and chicken broth are warm to make things easier.
This bechamel pasta recipe is one of the best recipes to make ahead of time. It’s just so easy to meal prep, I love it.
You can do two things-
- Go ahead and make the bechamel sauce, meat sauce and boil your pasta. Store everything in a separate airtight container each in the refrigerator. Then when you want to make it, go ahead and assemble it and bake it.
- Or just make your bechamel sauce, meat sauce and boil your pasta. Assemble everything in the baking dish, wrap it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Then bake it whenever you want to have it,
First, wait for your bechamel pasta to reach room temperature. Then, the best way to store this bechamel pasta recipe is-
- Store your bechamel pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator; or
- Wrap some plastic wrap or aluminum foil over your casserole dish and store it in the refrigerator.
Your bechamel pasta will stay good in an airtight container or wrapped in the casserole dish for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
When it comes to reheating your macarona bechamel, go ahead and heat it in the microwave or if it’s a large portion of bechamel pasta, you can go ahead and heat it in the oven too until it’s heated through.
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