Prepare to indulge in a comforting culinary journey with our White Sauce Pasta Bake—a delightful fusion of rich flavors and comforting textures inspired by the beloved Greek dish, Pastitsio, and the Egyptian classic, Macarona Bechamel.
Preheat your oven to 350F and cook your pasta three minutes short of al dente. Follow the directions on the pasta package.
Meat Sauce
Add a tsp of olive oil and sauté your diced onions on medium heat until translucent.
Add in your beef and lamb and brown.
Once your meat is mostly browned, add in your crushed garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, onion powder, and thyme. Cook for two minutes to incorporate all ingredients.
Add in your crushed tomatoes. Cover leaving a slight opening. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.
Bechamel
Melt your butter on medium heat. Then add in your flour and cook down the flour for three minutes.
Warm your milk and cream in the microwave and slowly incorporate it into the butter and flour mixture, making sure to whisk away all the lumps.
Add in your nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Simmer on low medium for 4 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Once it has thickened, turn off the heat and add in 1 cup of your mozzarella and 1/2 cuo of your parmesan. Combine well.
Layering
Add 1 cup of your bechamel sauce to your penne pasta.
Add a layer of pasta to your baking dish.
Top with a layer of your meat sauce (reserve about 1.5 cups for the final layer).
Top with your sliced mozzarella.
Top with another layer of your pasta and the remainder of your meat sauce.
Add the rest of your bechamel sauce and spread it across evenly.
Top with the remainder of your cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.