Easy recipe to Bechamel Pasta (Macarona Bechamel) homemade

Easy Recipe To Bechamel Pasta (Macarona Bechamel) Homemade :

Macarona The best pasta dish of all time is a Bechamel pasta bake, as it is called in the Middle East. The family adores this Egyptian recipe since it is the epitome of comfort food. I mean, what more do you expect from butter, wheat, pasta, and sauce?

What is Macarona Bechamel?

Due to the abundance of talented cooks in my Egyptian family, I grew up loving the Egyptian dish macarona bechamel. I'm guessing that during their conquest, the French introduced bechamel sauce to Egypt, after which the Egyptians took it and produced this masterpiece.

It's undeniably a meal that has similarities to Italian lasagna (especially if you prepare it with Bechamel, as I do), but the ground beef sauce has distinctive flavors that give it a distinctively Arabic flavor. If I'm ever hosting, I make sure to have a delicious casserole on the menu.

I adore using penne pasta for this recipe to achieve the traditional appearance. The star of the show, the Bechamel sauce, is actually pretty simple to make if you follow my directions. Don't get scared off! Yes, it's in French, and I automatically find everything in French frightening, but this is totally doable.

Ingredients :

For the pasta:

• 600 gram Penne pasta.
• Water.
• Salt.

For the meat sauce:

• 700 gram lean ground beef.
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
• 1 onion.
• 2 cups tomato sauce.
• 1.5 teaspoon allspice.
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
• half teaspoon of black pepper.

For the Bechamel sauce:

• 1 cup flour.
• 1 cup butter.
• 1 L milk.
• 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water or 1 cup chicken stock.
• half teaspoon of salt.
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Preparation :

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Pasta should first be cooked until al dente in salted water. Drain, then put aside.
3. For the meat sauce, chop the onion finely and sauté it in a skillet with the vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until it softens.
4. Cook the beef for approximately 5-7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until it is browned.
5. Stir in the tomato sauce and all the seasonings, then simmer for 5 minutes. Place aside.
6. Melt the butter over medium heat to create the bechamel sauce.
7. To create a roux, add a small amount of flour at a time while whisking constantly. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes while consistently whisking.
8. You don't need the milk to be hot; simply reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds until it is slightly warmer than room temperature. Warm milk is easier to assimilate, while cold milk also works.
9. Slowly pour the milk while whisking continually. Don't worry if the sauce appears lumpy; just keep adding the milk and stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low if you see that your sauce is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
10. When the milk is completed, add the chicken stock and continue whisking for an additional 4-5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Run your finger through the coating on the back of a spoon to check; it should remain separated.
11. Add about 1 cup of the Bechamel sauce to the pasta.
12. Add a spoonful of Bechamel sauce to a deep, large casserole dish, spread it out, and then add half the spaghetti.
13. Evenly distribute the meat mixture over the top and add the remaining pasta.
14. You should have enough sauce to completely cover the dish with a smooth layer of Bechamel sauce.
15. Bake the casserole for 45 minutes at 375°F with the foil covering it. 15 minutes of broiling with the cover off will brown the top.
16. Cut the spaghetti into pieces after letting it cool for 15-20 minutes to solidify.
17. Enjoy!

Tips for making the best Bechamel sauce :

The Bechamel sauce may intimidate some of you, so here are some pointers to keep in mind:

• The appropriate proportion of butter to flour. According to the instructions, I usually stick to a 1:1 ratio, and it works every time!
• Before adding the milk, make sure the roux is fully cooked and roasted by cooking it for 3–4 minutes. This will make the flavour better.
• Whatever you do, keep rushing through the entire procedure!
• Use warm or room temperature milk. It works when I use cold milk, but whisking it in requires more effort. However, warm milk usually blends better. You can simply microwave milk for a little period of time in a glass measuring jug; it shouldn't be too hot or boiling!
• If you don't have chicken broth, you can replace additional milk because it provides so much flavor without being necessary.
• By incorporating more or less liquid, the sauce's thickness can be changed. Add one-half to one cup additional milk if you prefer a more consistency. This recipe makes spaghetti slices that aren't also overly thick.

Storage instructions:

If you want a dish that can be prepared ahead of time, macaroni bechamel is ideal. Here, you have two choices. The day before, assemble everything, place it in the fridge, bake it, and then serve.

Alternately, you may put everything together, wrap it tightly in aluminium foil, and freeze it. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Both approaches will be effective.

I really hope you give this Bechamel pasta dish a try and let me know what you think by leaving a comment and giving it a star rating! I enjoy your feedback very much!

Notes:

I've seen preparations of this dish that had cheese on top. I certainly don't say no to cheese, even not doing it the "traditional" way. Add it if you like it! I choose not to include it because I believe the Bechamel is already luxurious and has a rich, creamy flavor that would be diminished by the addition of cheese.

Moreover, some individuals enlarge the Bechamel sauce using egg yolks. Some people have said that it makes it more silky, but after trying it both ways, I don't think it's necessary. But once more, you can surely do it if you want to!

Thanks for reading. I hope you like it.

Don't forget to read: Easy Spaghetti recipe with cheese on top