Egyptian macarona bechamel (مكرونة بشاميل,) is a comfort food recipe popular in Egypt made from penne pasta and a minced meat sauce baked with creamy béchamel. If you’re not already familiar with it, you can think of it as an Egyptian pasta bake with bechamel sauce.
Story time, bestie! I must have been around ten years old the first time I tried Macarona Bechamel. It was at my very first sleepover. I was visiting the home of my childhood best friend.
The plan was to laugh, and play, and climb into restricted construction sites. You know, the things unsupervised ten-year-old boys do! And then after a long day, we were going to play videos games and then get some well-deserved rest.
Well, there was no sleeping…not for me, at least! It turned out my friend’s bedroom was gigantic. And all the empty dark spaces in it housed monsters (honestly, I saw them! And you can’t make me believe otherwise). I found myself running out through a tight corridor and into their living room, finding safety in the warm light of the television.
Sometime later, his mother found me in front of the television. Realizing that I was terrified of the dark, she sat with me, and fed me some of her homemade macarona bechamel. It was that night I learnt that Macarona Bechamel is the perfect Egyptian comfort food. Pasta, a meat sauce, and bechamel…what’s not to love?
Jump to:
What is Macarona Bechamel
Macarona Bechamel (مكرونة بشاميل,) is essentially Egypt’s take on a Bechamel pasta bake. Typically, it’s made from layers of penne pasta, a spiced meat and tomato sauce, and bechamel. A cheesy layer is often added but is not necessary. (This recipe adds a mozzarella layer because mmmm…cheese.)
Regarding which method (cheese or no cheese) is most authentic, the jury is out – you’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask!
When I asked my Egyptian foodie friends how they’d describe this comfort food favorite, they called it something in-between a beef lasagna and a Greek pastitsio.
Macaroni Bechamel VS Macarona Bechamel
I’ve seen the dish referred to as macaroni bechamel as well – typically, this is a well-meaning mistake common in the West. It comes from Westerners trying the dish in Egypt (or other parts of the Middle East), and then swapping the name to macaroni (because it reminds them of macaroni and cheese).
This is incorrect for two reasons: firstly, the correct name for the dish is Macarona Bechamel. And secondly, it’s typically made using penne pasta, and not elbow macaroni.
Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Tomato sauce (Canned/Crushed tomatoes)
- Olive Oil
- Thyme
- Salt
- Black pepper
For the Béchamel sauce
- Flour
- Unsalted butter
- Milk
- Salt
- Nutmeg
For the pasta
- Penne pasta (rigatoni is another popular option)
- Water
- Salt
How to make Macarona Bechamel
Making an Egyptian pasta bake, like Macarona Bechamel, is easier than you’d think! The process is actually very similar to making a lasagna – except, you’re using penne pasta instead of lasagna sheets, and a creamy bechamel sauce instead of the traditional tomato-based sauce you see in many lasagnes. Here are the main steps:
Prepare the pasta
Nothing special here! You’re just preparing the pasta as you always would (al dente, you are cooking your pasta al dente, right bestie?).
Make the Béchamel mixture
Luckily, Bechamel is one of the easiest mother sauces to prepare. It’s simply a matter of mixing melted butter with flour and milk over a low heat.
Macarona Bechamel, Assemble!
In a large baking dish, Add the components you’ve already made: pasta first, then stir in the meat sauce. Next is a layer of mozzarella cheese, and the finally layer is a generous helping of the creamy bechamel sauce you’ve made. Smooth it out, bake, and then you’re ready for an Egyptian feast!
Tips for the best Macarona Bechamel recipe
Bechamel Tips
I know, I know…making a Bechamel sauce sounds intimidating. Don’t worry, bestie – it’s not very difficult. I’d say it’s actually a great beginner sauce because it introduces you to working with a roux (which is fancy French chef-speak for flour and fat being cooked together. In this case, the fat is butter, and milk is whisked into the roux to create a white sauce known as Bechamel).
Assuming you follow the recipe, your ratio for flour to butter should be fine, so the only thing to remember to do is to whisk in the milk gradually. If you pour it in all at once, there’s a significant chance that you’ll end up with a lumpy sauce. Life will be easier if you use milk at room temperature.
Pasta Tips
Typically, penne pasta is used for this recipe, however the type of pasta really doesn’t matter too much. (I’d recommend something like penne or rigatoni which can hold the béchamel meat mixture. Spaghetti works – I’ve tried it! But it’s a much messier final dish.)
Make sure you’re cooking your pasta al dente (usually this just means following the instructions on your pasta box!). If you over cook it, it will be too soft and break too easily.
Variations
It’s quite easy to create variations of this dish. Here are a few simple suggestions:
- Change the flavor palate of your minced meat sauce – I feel that adding a little garlic powder can do wonders. Others will suggest you mix in some ground cinnamon, or a variety of spices to add a bit more kick to the sauce.
- Change up the cheese – while I use ooey gooey mozzarella, you can also opt for a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese, or something wholly more indulgent (use your imagination!).
- Thoughtful garnishes can make a difference to a dish. Personally, I like to keep it as simple as possible (what? I’m lazy.), but parsley or fresh thyme is often used to make the final dish look a little prettier.
Storage instructions
This makes for an excellent make-ahead recipe. It can be made, stored in an airtight container (if you can’t fit it into an airtight container, a tight layer of clingfilm will work), and refrigerated for 3-5 days. Some will even say that their Macarona Bechamel tastes better on day 2!
More Middle Eastern Recipes
If you enjoyed this Egyptian recipe, you’re sure to like these other recipes popular or inspired by the Middle East.
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While there’s no special equipment required to make this dish, a large Pyrex baking dish will make your life a little easier.
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That’s it for today, bestie! So. What do you think of this Egyptian version of a pasta bake? Will you be making Macarona Bechamel soon? Let me know in the comments below.
📖 Recipe
Egyptian Macarona Bechamel Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 Egyptian Macarona Bechamel to share 1x
- Diet: Halal
Description
Egyptian macarona bechamel (مكرونة بشاميل,) is a comfort food recipe popular in Egypt made from penna pasta baked in béchamel sauce.
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 500g Penne pasta
- Water
- Salt, to taste
For the Meat Sauce
- 500g Ground beef
- 1 onion
- 1 ½ cup tomato sauce (canned and/or crushed tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
For the Béchamel Sauce
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 ½ cup butter
- 1 ½ litres milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
For the Assembly
- 1 cup grated mozzarella
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degree F.
For the pasta
- Start by boiling the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
For the meat sauce
- Finely dice the onion and cook in a pan with the olive oil, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the meat and break it up using a wooden spoon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, thyme and the tomato sauce and simmer for 3-4 minutes. set aside.
For the Bechamel Sauce
- Begin by melting the butter over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour while over heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes as you continuously whisk.
- Pour the milk in slowly while continuing to whisk until the sauce is formed.
Macarona Bechamel, Assemble!
- In a deep, large casserole dish, add the pasta. Add the meat mixture and mix together. Smooth out to create a layer. Add a layer of mozzarella.
- Cover using all of the Bechamel sauce and smooth it out (for presentation).
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 mins. Serve with a smile!
Notes
- This is generally a pretty simple recipe. There are some tips regarding the Bechamel sauce and pasta in the post, however as long as you follow the instructions, you should be good! I’d recommend playing around with the meat sauce to create a version of it that you really love!
- If you’re following the recipe video, you might notice a little red pepper being used to prepare the ground beef. That’s just some spice to add a little extra kick to the recipe. It’s not required (or traditionally included).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Egyptian
Aisha B
We’ve been looking for a macarona bechamel recipe that really has the flavor of home for months now! This is definitely up their with the best recipes we’ve tried. Did not expect ot find delicious egyptian recipes on an indian food blog but this was really excellent. Thank you Riz!
Farida
What a wonderful recipe. We loved your story about it as a child too.
Riz
Thank you, Farida!
Anita
This recipe looks amazing. Could I assemble, refrigerate, and bake later? For example assemble in the morning and then bake it that evening?
Riz
Hi Anita,
Yes, that should be no problem 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Michelle
Absolutely a hit with my children
Riz
So glad all of you enjoyed it, Michelle! It’s a favourite in our house too 🙂
Reem
This is one of my favorite dishes! This recipe is so easy and the dish turns out delicious. Highly recommend!
Rebecca
Could you please tell me what you mean by tomato sauce? Tomato paste? or something else? Thank you
Riz
Hi Rebecca, it’s just canned/crushed tomatoes. Sorry, I forget sometimes that it’s not called tomato sauce everywhere! I’ll add a note to the post to clarify as well.
Cathy Ucol
I love this recipe, my son really enjoyed making it! One of his favourite.
Kat
J’aimerais savoir c’est pour combien de personnes ??
Riz
6-8 personnes 🙂
Linda
Have you ever frozen this recipe? I’m looking for postpartum freezer meals and this recipe sounds amazing! I’m wondering how it would freeze and reheat.
Riz
Hi Linda,
Yes, I’ve tried freezing this recipe. And it freezes/reheats pretty well. I feel that bechamel sauce doesn’t hold it’s flavor and texture as well as some other sauces do after being frozen. But this can definitely be frozen for up to a month or so, and reheated in the oven.
Hope that helps!
Nadine
It says one and a half liters of milk so that would be 6 cups of milk?
Riz
Hi Nadine,
Yes, it would be about 6 and a third cups of milk.
Sorry, that wasn’t clearer!
Joanne
What size pan do you use?
Riz
Hi Joanne,
I use a standard large casserole dish – they’re usually around 11×7 inches or 8×12 inches (approximately 2 quarts).
Hope that helps!
SM
Hi!
Just wanted to drop by and express my gratitude for featuring this incredible recipe on your blog. As soon as I stumbled upon it, I knew I had to give it a try. I was instantly drawn to the promise of creamy béchamel, fragrant spices, and tender penne pasta. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Every bite was a symphony of flavours and textures. I used minced chicken for a lighter twist, and it turned out absolutely divine. Thank you for sharing such an impressive recipe – it’s definitely earned a spot in my favourites list. Looking forward to exploring more of your culinary delights!
I’ll be featuring my rendition of this delightful dish on my own blog, with full credit to your wonderful recipe.
Thank You,
SM from Essence of Life – Food
Dea
It the video it says red pepper however in the ingredients list it says black pepper. Also, do you put egg in the mince to help hold it all together?
Riz
Hi Dea,
The red pepper in the video version is just some standard red chilli powder (this isn’t required for the recipe at all – it’s just a personal customisation). I removed that from the ingredients list as it was a bit spicier than macarona bechamel traditionally is!
I suppose you could use an egg to bind the meat together, but you shouldn’t really need to. I definitely do that when we make it at home.
Hope that helps!
Riz
D
Can I please ask what tomato sauce you use? Is it ketchup or canned tomato’s?
Riz
Hi D,
I use canned/crushed tomatoes for this recipe. I’ve added a quick note into the recipe to make that clearer. Hope you enjoy the recipe, it’s one of my personal favourites!
Riz
C Newbin
This was delicious! Perfect lasagna without lasagna sheets.
Tania
Wonderful recipe. We have tried many macarona bechamel recipes and this is the best. We will be making using this recipe now on.
A happy mom
My sons can’t get enough of this. They’ve asked me to make it three times already in 2025!
Mariam
Very good recipe
Riz
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nancy
I have been in the mood for this for so long its crazy. I was always afraid of making it that it will be time consuming, difficult… also have a very picky eater for a partner and son. My heart has been aching for it. So since we got ground meat on sale and had pasta and all the ingredients I said ill give it a shot. With a few added seasoning and forgetting some for the last part was able to add after (the nutmeg gave it caracter sprinkled on top) and I used ziti pasta (since I had it handy) omgggg! I teared a little. Reminded me of my grandma in Egypt 🇪🇬 who razed me, god rest her soul. No one ever tought me because they said I am only half egyptian I don’t deserve it. But this is healing so many parts of me especially no contact with those people. So from my child hear and adult self THANK YOU! ❤️
Riz
Hi Nancy! I’m so glad you found this recipe and had the courage to give it a try. YOU 100% DESERVE IT.
Thank YOU for commenting. I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. (My wife is also half Egyptian, and she loves this recipe!)
Take care, and hope to hear from you again soon (next time: you should make koshari 😉 )
Best,
Riz