Name: Macarona Béchamel
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 lb penne (454 g); kosher salt, for the pasta water; 2 tbsp olive oil (28 g); 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (220 g); 4 garlic cloves, minced (12 g); 12 oz ground beef (340 g); 1 lb ground turkey (454 g); ¼ cup tomato paste (65 g); 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce or passata (425 g); ⅓ cup water (80 g); 2 tsp paprika (5 g); 1 tsp garlic powder (3 g); 1 tsp onion powder (3 g); ½ tsp ground cinnamon (1 g); ⅓ tsp ground allspice (1 g); 1½ tsp kosher salt (9 g); ¾ tsp black pepper (2 g); 5½ tbsp unsalted butter (80 g); ⅔ cup all-purpose flour (80 g); 4½ cups unsweetened plain almond milk (1065 g); ½ tsp ground nutmeg (1 g); ⅓ tsp white pepper (1 g); 1 tsp kosher salt (6 g); 1 large egg (50 g); 2 cups shredded mozzarella (225 g); ¾ cup grated Parmesan (75 g)

Method

Step 1 done
Heat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of heavily salted to a boil.
Step 2 done
Cook the 2 to 3 minutes less than the package says, so it is still firm. It finishes in the oven. Drain, rinse under cold to stop the cooking, and toss with 1 tsp of the .
Step 3 done
Heat 1½ tbsp of the in your largest pot over medium. Soften the for 7 to 8 minutes, then add the for 1 minute.
Step 4 done
Add the first and brown it: its fat is what keeps the from drying out. Then add the turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up. You want browning, not steaming, so work in two batches if the pot is crowded.
Step 5 done
Stir in the paste and let it darken for 1 minute. Add the sauce, , , , , , , and . Simmer until thick and clinging, not soupy, or the tray will be watery. Taste and correct the now.
Step 6 done
Make the béchamel in a clean pot. Melt the over medium, whisk in the and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stream in the almond , whisking out lumps as you go. Add the , white and , and whisk to a slow bubble until it coats a spoon.
Step 7 done
Off the heat, stir in 1 cup of the and ¼ cup of the . Temper the : whisk a ladle of the hot béchamel into it, then whisk it back into the pot.
Step 8 done
Oil a 9x13 pan with 1 tsp of the . Toss the pasta with about 1 cup of the béchamel. Spread half the pasta in the pan, then all of the meat sauce, then the rest of the pasta. Pour the remaining béchamel over and spread it flat to the edges. Scatter the remaining 1 cup and ½ cup on top.
Step 9 done
Cover with oiled foil and bake.
Step 10 done
Uncover and bake until the top is golden and bubbling. For a darker crust, finish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes and watch it closely.
Step 11 done
Rest before cutting. The béchamel sets as it cools, and this is the difference between clean squares and a puddle.

Nutrition

Variations

For dairy-free, leave out both cheeses, swap the butter for olive oil or vegan butter, and whisk 2 tsp Dijon mustard into the béchamel. With no cheese it needs more salt than feels right.

Notes

This is the traditional tray from the three-tray batch I make for a crowd: wheat penne and cheese on top. The almond milk must be unsweetened, plain and unflavored, because vanilla will wreck it. It is thinner and blander than dairy, so the flour is deliberately heavy and the béchamel wants aggressive salting. Cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg are the signature: they are what make it Egyptian rather than lasagna. Traditionally the meat is beef or lamb and the cheese is a modern addition. For gluten-free, boil gluten-free pasta in fresh water before anything else and use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Nutrition below is the whole tray, cut into 12 squares.

Macarona Béchamel

Ingredients

Pasta

Meat sauce

Béchamel

Cheese

Method

Nutrition

Variations

Notes