The Best Egyptian Macarona Forn/Bechamel: مكرونة فرنً
Discover how to make the perfect Macarona Forn, Egypt’s ultimate pasta bake. Get expert tips, freezer-friendly instructions, vegetarian swaps, and answers to FAQs like best pasta types, béchamel fixes, and make-ahead options.
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce
- 2 tablespoons ghee, or 1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef, no more than 15% fat
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup tomato passata or plain tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Pasta
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 8 cups hot water
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
For the Béchamel (White Sauce)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 to 4½ cups whole milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup cream cheese, optional
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For Assembly
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil, for greasing
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the Pasta.
- Bring 8 cups of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
Step2: Make the Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce).
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 2–3 minutes until a golden paste forms. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add the cream cheese (if using), cloves, and nutmeg. Continue whisking for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Step 3: Prepare the Sauce.
- In a large skillet, heat the ghee or butter and oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until deep golden and caramelized, about 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned. Add the spices, tomato purée, tomato paste, and 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir well and simmer for 20–25 minutes, or until the sauce thickens like Bolognese.
Step 4: Assemble the Dish.
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or oil. In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta with 1½ cups of béchamel, ¼ cup Parmesan, and ¼ cup mozzarella. Spread half the pasta mixture in the baking dish. Layer all the meat sauce on top. Add the remaining pasta. Pour the rest of the béchamel over the top and spread it evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella.
Step 5: Bake.
- Preheat your oven to 360°F.
- Bake uncovered for 30–40 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and golden. For extra browning, broil for 3–5 minutes at the end, watching closely.
Step 6: Serve
- Let the dish rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, preferrablly with a "salata baladi", Egyptian green salad.
Nermine's Notes
- Cook the pasta al dente and avoid overcooking it, so it doesn’t collapse and disintegrate when it is baked in the oven.
- Ghee and butter can be used interchangeably, but note that ghee lends a nuttier, more intense flavor than butter.
- For a lump-free white sauce, use room temperature milk and not cold.
- Some flour brands require more milk to form a thick creamy white sauce, so in addition to 4 cups of milk, keep 1/2 a cup extra handy.
- Avoid fatty ground meat and stick to lean meat with 15% fat maximum to avoid a greasy heavy dish.
- Using skimmed milk instead of full fat it will affect the consistency of the white sauce.
- Gebna roomi is an aged Egyptian cheese with a pungent flavor, somewhat like Romano.