Macarona Bechamel
Macarona Bechamel is a baked comfort food favorite with layers of pasta, creamy bechamel & a Middle Eastern spiced ground beef tomato sauce.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1 teaspoon 7 spice
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 25-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 16 ounces spaghetti
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- 2
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until fully incorporated and lightly bubbles, then slowly whisk in the milk. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer, whisking frequently, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the salt and nutmeg.
- 3
Add the pasta on top of the bechamel sauce and toss to combine. Transfer the pasta with the sauce to a 9x13 baking dish.
- 4
In the pot used to cook the pasta, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the ground beef and onions and season with 7 spice, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook the ground beef and onions, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces with the back of a wooden spoon until browned, about 10 minutes.
- 5
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 more minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, then transfer the sauce on top of the pasta in the baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
- 6
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is golden and bubbly, 25-30 minutes.