This is one of the great comfort foods of Egyptian home cooking: layers of tender penne pasta and warmly spiced ground beef, topped with a rich, creamy béchamel sauce that bakes up golden and slightly crisp on top. Macarona béchamel is a beloved classic, the kind of dish that shows up at family gatherings and Sunday dinners, and it’s easy to see why. The pasta is coated in béchamel, the beef is seasoned with warm spices like cardamom and cinnamon, and the whole thing bakes into a creamy, hearty, deeply comforting casserole. It takes a little more effort than a weeknight pasta bake, but it’s absolutely worth it for how satisfying and impressive the results are.
What makes this dish special is the combination of textures and flavors: soft pasta enveloped in silky béchamel, savory spiced beef in the middle, and a golden, lightly crisped top from baking. The warm spice blend, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper, gives the beef a distinctly Middle Eastern character that sets this apart from an ordinary meat and pasta bake. It’s rich, comforting, and the kind of dish that feeds a crowd beautifully.
Why this works
A few key techniques are what give this dish its rich flavor and layered structure, and they’re worth understanding.
The warm spice blend gives the beef its signature character. Cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper, along with sautéed onion and garlic, season the ground beef with warm, aromatic flavor that’s distinctly Middle Eastern rather than the usual Italian-style seasoning you’d expect in a pasta bake. This spice profile is really what makes macarona béchamel taste like itself.
A properly made béchamel is the backbone of the dish. Whisking melted butter with flour, then gradually whisking in milk and cooking until smooth and thickened, creates a rich, silky white sauce. Letting it rest for 10 minutes after cooking allows it to thicken slightly further and makes it easier to work with when coating the pasta.
Coating the pasta in béchamel before assembling is key. Tossing the cooked pasta with a portion of the béchamel ensures every piece is coated in creamy sauce, rather than the sauce just sitting on top. This is what gives the dish its signature creamy texture throughout, not just at the surface.
And layering, pasta, beef, then more pasta, creates the classic structure. Sandwiching the spiced beef between two layers of béchamel-coated pasta means every bite gets some of each component, and baking until golden brown on top gives you that beautiful, slightly crisp, golden crust that contrasts with the creamy interior.
What goes in
The ingredients build the spiced beef, the béchamel, and the pasta.
For the spiced beef, you’ll need lean ground beef, yellow onion, garlic, cardamom, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon.
For the béchamel, you’ll need unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, whole milk, kosher salt, cinnamon, and freshly ground black pepper.
You’ll also need cooked penne pasta.
A few notes. Use lean ground beef and drain any excess fat after cooking. The cardamom and cinnamon are essential to the authentic flavor, don’t skip them. Cook the pasta al dente, since it will continue to soften as it bakes. And let the béchamel rest for 10 minutes after cooking before using it, this helps with both texture and ease of mixing.
How to make it
Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium-high heat, breaking it apart constantly until no longer pink. Drain any fat.
Add the diced onion, minced garlic, cardamom, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon to the cooked beef. Reduce the heat and sauté until the onions are translucent. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, then gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Stir in the kosher salt, cinnamon, and black pepper. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked penne with 3 cups of the prepared béchamel sauce, stirring until the pasta is well coated.
Spread half of the penne mixture into a buttered 13×9-inch baking dish.
Spread the cooked ground beef mixture evenly over the penne layer.
Top with the remaining penne mixture.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown, keeping an eye on it during the last 10 minutes to prevent burning.
Tips, serving, and storing
A few things help. Cook the pasta al dente so it doesn’t turn mushy after baking. Let the béchamel rest before mixing it with the pasta for the best texture. Coat the pasta thoroughly in the béchamel before layering, rather than just drizzling it on. And watch the top closely near the end of baking, since béchamel can go from golden to burnt quickly.
A couple more. If you have extra béchamel left over after coating the pasta, you can drizzle a little more over the top layer before baking for an even creamier finish. And letting the baked dish rest for about 10 minutes before slicing helps it hold together for cleaner servings.
This dish is a satisfying meal on its own, but it’s traditionally served with a simple side salad or some pickled vegetables to balance the richness. It’s a wonderful centerpiece for a family dinner, a potluck, or a special occasion, and it’s the kind of dish that feeds a crowd generously. Leftovers reheat beautifully, making it great for meal prep too.
For storing, keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or cover and reheat the whole dish in a 350°F oven until warmed through. It also freezes well, either baked or unbaked, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge before reheating or baking.
This makes 8 servings. Creamy, spiced, and deeply comforting, this Egyptian macarona béchamel is a beloved classic for good reason, and it’s a wonderful dish to bring to your own table, whether it’s a special occasion or just a craving for something rich and satisfying. Once you’ve had a proper slice with all three layers, it’s easy to understand why it’s a staple at Egyptian family tables.
WP Tasty (Tasty Recipes Premium) field values
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Egyptian
- Diet: (leave blank. Contains beef, dairy, and wheat, so it isn’t vegetarian or gluten-free. Halal with halal beef.)
- Keywords: macarona bechamel, Egyptian baked pasta, bechamel pasta bake, Egyptian macaroni, beef bechamel pasta
- Serving Size: 1 serving (recipe serves 8)
- Calories: 581 (from source; full nutrition is in the JSON. Source notes its nutrition is auto-calculated and approximate.)
- Equipment: Saucepan, 13×9-inch baking dish, large mixing bowl
Egyptian Macarona Bechamel
Equipment
- Saucepan
- 13×9-inch baking dish
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Spiced Beef
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 3/4 tsp salt for the beef
- 3/4 tsp black pepper for the beef
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon for the beef
Bechamel
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp kosher salt more or less to taste, for the bechamel
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon for the bechamel
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper for the bechamel
Pasta
- 1 pound cooked penne pasta cooked al dente
Instructions
- Cook the Beef: Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium-high heat, breaking it apart constantly until no longer pink. Drain any fat.
- Season the Beef: Add the diced onion, minced garlic, cardamom, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Reduce heat and saute until the onions are translucent. Set aside.
- Make the Bechamel: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, then gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and thickened. Stir in the kosher salt, cinnamon, and black pepper. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes.
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Coat the Pasta: In a large bowl, combine the cooked penne with 3 cups of the prepared bechamel. Stir until the pasta is well coated.
- Assemble: Spread half the penne mixture into a buttered 13×9-inch baking dish. Spread the beef mixture evenly over the penne layer. Top with the remaining penne mixture.
- Bake: Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown, watching closely during the last 10 minutes to prevent burning.
