Food from the Mediterranean Area

EGYPT

Macarona Béchamel

Ingredients:

1 box short pasta or Macaroni ( long tubes )

1/2 lb ground beef ( can substitute with ground turkey or chicken )

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced

1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

salt and pepper

½ tablespoon Spanish Paprika

½ tablespoon dry parsley

For the Béchamel:

1 egg

2.5 cups milk, warmed

5 tbsp butter

5 tbsp flour

salt, pepper, nutmeg,

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta, drain and set aside ( add few drops of olive oil and stir to prevent sticking )

In a skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil and saute the onions and garlic. Add the ground beef. Season  with salt and pepper. Once cooked ( about 30 minutes ), add the spaghetti sauce and season with more salt and pepper, paprika and dry parsley: cook 10 more minutes on medium heat. 

Combine together pasta and beef mixture and mix well.

For the Béchamel:

Pull out 1 egg and let it sit on the counter top to come to room temperature. Heat 2.5 cups of milk (you might need more later) for 3 minutes in the microwave. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a medium size pot. Add immediately 5 tablespoons of flour. Cook until the flour absorbs the butter. Ladle in the milk one ladle full at a time and whisk it in the sauce until it's smooth. Repeat this process until you finish the milk. You want the béchamel to be the consistency of cake batter. Turn the heat off and season it with salt, pepper, and just a dash of nutmeg. Add some grated parmesan cheese. Cool the mixture as much as you can by whisking it and releasing the steam from it. If you don't cool it, when u add the egg, it will scramble. Whisk in the egg.

To assemble:

 Pour 1/3 of the béchamel into a greased baking dish

 Add the pasta mixture.

 Pour the rest of the béchamel spreading with a spatula to cover all corners of the baking dish. .    Bake at 375 degrees for  40-50 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown color