Macarona Bechamel is a classic Egyptian pasta bake layered with savory meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and penne pasta—baked to golden, bubbly perfection. This classic Middle Eastern comfort food is rich, hearty, and always a favorite in my home. Think lasagna vibes, but with a uniquely Egyptian twist!

Bechamel pasta bake served in a large casserole, garnished with fresh thyme. A striped kitchen town is wrapped around it, with freshly cracked black pepper around it

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I have my Egyptian childhood friends to thank for introducing me to this iconic dish, along with Egyptian goulash (a must make!).

Macarona Bechamel resembles Italian Lasagna, but my recipe uses ground beef seasoned with warm spices which gives it that classic Arabic flavour. This casserole is almost always on my table (along with moussaka and eggplant casserole) when I’m hosting, because it’s wonderful to make it the day before, then simply bake before serving.

Bechamel sauce: As a novice cook, I used to be intimidated by the sound of bechamel. But after experimenting and testing this recipe multiple times, I realized that if you have a whisk, it’ll all come together quite easily.

Let’s Make Macarona Bechamel

Grab the ingredients!

Ingredients needed for bechamel pasta bake: butter, flour, milk, tomato sauce, ground beef, penne pasta, oil, onion, cinnamon, allspice, pepper

Start by boiling the pasta in salted water until al dente, then make the meat sauce.

Meat sauce in a black pan with a wooden spoon

Next, prepare the Bechamel sauce. Melt butter in a deep pan, then slowly add in the flour and continuously whisk to create a roux. Cook the flour, whisking continuously for 3-4 minutes, then slowly add in the milk.

Typical bechamel instructions will have you warming up the milk, but I use cold milk and never experience any lumps, as long as you keep whisking it.

Also – using chicken stock instead of water for the Bechamel is what makes this recipe truly stand out. It adds so much flavour!

Continue whisking as you add in the milk then follow it by the chicken stock. Allow the sauce to thicken for about 5-7 minutes while whisking. Add the seasoning and check the sauce by coating the back of a spoon and running your finger through it – it should remain separated (see video below).

Bechamel sauce in a silver pan with a whisk inside

Now it’s time to layer. Mix the drained pasta with a bit of the Bechamel sauce (about 1 cup). In a large deep casserole, add a spoonful of the Bechamel sauce, then add half of the pasta.

Cover it with all of the meat mixture and smooth it out to an even layer. Add the second half of the pasta, then pour all of the remaining sauce on top.

Penne pasta in a pot being mixed in with bechamel sauce

Cover it with foil and bake it at 375 F for 45 minutes. Uncover it and broil it for 15 minutes to get some browning on the top.

Pasta in a casserole covered in bechamel sauce, before baking

Allow it to stand for 10 minutes before serving it.

    A slice of Bechamel Pasta bake on a plate with a piece cut out using a fork

    Make Ahead Instructions (Best Part About This Dish)

    Macarona Bechamel is perfect if you’re looking for a make-ahead dish. You have two options here. You can assemble everything and refrigerate it the day before, then bake it before serving.

    Or you can assemble everything and cover it well with Aluminium foil then freeze it. Before baking, allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge. Both methods will work great!

    Bechamel Pasta bake served in a large casserole with one piece taken out using a spoon

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    If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

    A slice of Bechamel Pasta bake on a plate with a piece cut out using a fork
    4.91 from 72 ratings

    Bechamel Pasta Bake (Macarona Bechamel)

    Yield: 6 servings
    Prep: 30 minutes
    Cook: 1 hour
    Author: Amina Al-Saigh
    This comforting Bechamel Pasta Bake is so delicious and requires simple ingredients. Make the pasta and the meat sauce, but the magic behind this dish is the silky Bechamel sauce that gets poured on top. Delicious!
    Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

    Ingredients
     

    For the pasta:

    • 600 grams Penne pasta
    • Water
    • Salt

    For the meat sauce:

    • 700 grams lean ground beef
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 1 onion
    • 2 cups tomato sauce
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    For the Bechamel sauce:

    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 cup butter
    • 1 litre milk
    • 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water, or 1 cup chicken stock
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 375F
    • 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 vegetable oil, stirring occasionally until softened for about 5 minutes
    • Add the meat and break it up using a wooden spoon and cook until browned, for about 5-7 minutes
    • Add all the spices, salt and the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside
    • Make the bechamel sauce by melting the butter over medium heat
    • Add the flour in a few tablespoons at a time and continue whisking as you do this to form a roux. Cook for 3-4 minutes as you continuously whisk
    • Warm the milk by heating in the microwave for a few seconds until its room temperature or slightly warmer (you don’t need it to be hot). Cold milk works too but warm milk is easier to incorporate
    • Pour the milk in slowly while continuously whisking. The sauce may look lumpy but don’t worry – keep pouring in the milk and whisking. If you feel your sauce is catching on the bottom of the pan, turn the heat down to medium low
    • When milk is finished, add in the chicken stock and continue to whisk for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Check by coating the back of a spoon and running your finger through it – it should stay separated
    • Mix the pasta with roughly 1 cup of the Bechamel sauce
    • In a deep, large casserole dish, add a tablespoon of Bechamel sauce and spread it around, then add half the pasta
    • Add all of the meat mixture on top and even out the layer, then add the remaining pasta
    • Cover with all of the Bechamel sauce and smooth it out – you should have enough sauce to cover the whole thing well
    • Cover the casserole with aluminium foil and bake at 375F for 45 mins. Uncover and broil for 15 minutes to brown the top
    • Allow the pasta to cool for 15-20 minutes to set, then cut into pieces and enjoy

    Notes

    • Chicken stock is optional. If you don’t have it, just use more milk
    • For the Bechamel, use warm milk to make it easier to incorporate into the roux
    • You can layer this dish ahead of time, then either refrigerate and use the next day or freeze and thaw overnight in the fridge before baking
    Serving: 1serving, Calories: 571kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 768mg, Potassium: 1061mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 703IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 302mg, Iron: 6mg
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