The Arab Lasagna | Macarona Bechamel

This is a dish enjoyed throughout most of the Arab countries. Originating in Egypt, we in the Levant have adopted this dish and never looked back. It's essentially a lasagna made with penne pasta and a red meat sauce seasoned with our very favorite Arabic 7 Spice. It's beautiful, it's to die for, and best of all, it's a crowd pleaser. If you love pasta but want to switch things up, macarona bechamel is the move!

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Macarona Bechamel:

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Ingredients

Meat Filling

• 2 lbs Ground Beef (10% Fat)

• 16 oz Tomato Sauce

• 1 Yellow Onion

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

• 2-3 tbsp Arabic 7 Spice

• Salt to taste

Bechamel

• 6 cups Whole Milk

• 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter

• 8 tbsp All Purpose Flour

• 2-3 Bay Leaves (Fresh or Dry)

• 1 tsp Black Pepper

• 1 tsp Nutmeg

• Salt to Taste

• 1.5 lbs Penne Pasta

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Instructions

We’ll start by preparing the meat filling. Dice the yellow onion and set aside. Place a 4qt saute pan on high heat for a couple minutes then drop to medium. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and then the diced onion. Saute for a few minutes stirring often until the onions become soft and almost translucent.

Add the ground beef to the pan and break up into small pieces. Let it sit and cook for a while until a majority of the pink is gone. Continue breaking into small pieces as it cooks. When all the pink is gone, season with 2-3 tbsp of Arabic 7 Spice and salt to taste. Mix really well so the spice is evenly distributed throughout.

Add 16 oz of tomato sauce and a splash of water, no more than a half cup. Mix well, cover, and simmer on the lowest setting for about 20-30 minutes. Then remove from the heat and set aside.

For the bechamel you’ll need two pots (one large, one small). In the small pot add 6 cups of whole milk and the bay leaves. Simmer on low heat stirring often to not burn the milk. The goal here is to infuse the milk with the flavor of the bay leaves. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Once the flavor is infused, remove the bay leaves and remove the milk from the heat.

In the large pot add 8 tbsp of butter and let it melt down on low heat. Once completely melted, add 8 tbsp of all purpose flour. Whisk the flour into the butter until fully incorporated creating a roux. Then continue cooking, whisking often, until the mixture begins to bubble and spread. From here you can slowly begin adding the milk 1 cup at a time.

Add 1 cup of milk and whisk until it’s fully absorbed by the flour. This happens quick so be attentive. Continue adding milk 1 cup at a time and whisking until fully absorbed. With each cup of milk added the bechamel will grow in volume and become thinner in consistency. Repeat this process until you have used all of the infused milk. The bechamel consistency should be able to coat the back of a spoon.

Season the bechamel with 1 tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, and salt to taste. Mix well and that’s your bechamel. Divide this in half by scooping half the bechamel into the small pot used to infuse the milk.

Heat a large pot with salted water and boil the penne pasta according to the packet instructions. Then strain and add the pasta to half of the bechamel and mix. Be sure to coat the pasta as best you can with the bechamel.

Get a 9x13 or 10x14 inch baking dish and begin assembling. Layer the pasta first, then meat filling, and repeat until you have filled the tray. Top the tray with the other half of reserved bechamel. Place in a 350F oven for 40-50 minutes. You can also broil at the end for a few minutes until browned on top. Keep an eye on it because it burns quick. Remove from the oven and allow it 10 minutes to sit untouched. Then serve and enjoy.