Macarona Béchamel (Pastitsio)
A lot of cultures have their own version of macarona béchamel, and we all inherited it and created our own twists within it, and one of the pioneers of this delicious dish are the Greek with Pastitsio!
Pastitsio is derived from the Italian word Pasticcio – which is a huge family of savory pies, the Greek was inspired by the Italians and created our famous macarona béchamel! In Malta, there is a similar dish called timpana. They also have a similar version in Cyprus, called fırında makarna in Turkish and makarónia tou foúrnou in Greek! And so, Egypt has been influenced by the Greek into making an Egyptian macarona béchamel too, and it has been passed down in the world of Egyptian cuisine for centuries!
Ingredients:
1 kg ground beef
500-800g penne pasta
1 cup chopped parsley
2 large onions
3 minced garlic
2 tbsp butter
½ cup juiced tomato
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to your liking
The béchamel:
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
2-4 cups whole milk
1 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to your liking
Directions:
In a bit of oil, brown ground beef until all pink is gone, season well.
Add onions and cook until translucent.
After the onions are sautéed well and the beef is browned, add garlic and 2 tablespoons of butter.
Stir in crushed tomato and tomato paste.
Finish with chopped parsley.
The béchamel:
Make a roux by melting equal parts butter to flour.
Add flour and mix well when butter is fully melted, cook for 3-5 minutes to remove the flour taste.
Slowly whisk in the milk until sauce thickens.
Finish the sauce off with the cheese of your choice.
Season with salt and pepper.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375ºC (190ºC).
Cook the penne paste for 5 minutes. We want the pasta to be partially cooked so it could continue cooking in the oven without it being overcooked.
Butter a baking tray.
Lay a layer of pasta at the bottom of the baking dish, top with the ground meat mixture, and then the béchamel.
Repeat the layering process until the tray is filled to the top.
Finish the last layer with a layer of béchamel and grated cheese.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden.
Bon appétit!
