Baked Pasta (Makaronia tou Fournou)
1983, Kofinou. It's autumn and my mother, working at the restaurant, is preparing her most sought-after recipe: Baked Pasta. We, the little rascals, cause a ruckus as we grab the boiled pasta and start eating, competing to see who can eat the fastest. My mother gets annoyed and puts us in order, assigning each of us a task. In no time, I find myself over a pot, stirring the pasta with the minced meat and some béchamel sauce. Then I divide it into baking pans and spread a rich layer of béchamel on top. This is how my mother still makes the baked pasta, and this is exactly how I make it too. And this was the first recipe I ever wrote down in my notebook about forty years ago, and it remains unchanged.
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 package (500g) thick pasta, size “B”
- 3 liters (12 cups) water
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 teaspoon (8g) salt
- 1 cup (100g) grated halloumi cheese
For the Minced Meat (Ragu)
- 1 kg pork mince
- 1/3 cup (85ml) sunflower oil
- 1 cup (140g) finely chopped onion
- 1 can (400g) chopped plain tomatoes or tomatoes with onion
- ½ cup (125ml) lightly concentrated tomato juice
- 1 level teaspoon (3g) sugar
- 1 well-filled teaspoon (4g) ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons (2g) dried mint
- 1 cup (40g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon (8g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (1g) black pepper
For the Béchamel Sauce
- ½ cup (115ml) sunflower oil
- 10 well-filled tablespoons (185g) flour (Village or '00' soft flour)
- 8 cups (2 liters) lukewarm milk
- 2 cups (500ml) reserved pasta cooking water
- 3 eggs (M size), well beaten
- 2 cups (200g) grated halloumi cheese
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (8g) salt
For the Topping
- ½ cup (50g) grated halloumi cheese
- a little cinnamon (optional)
METHOD
First, make the Minced Meat Sauce
- Pour the sunflower oil into a frying pan and sauté the onion for about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the mince and sauté until it turns pale, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and the lightly concentrated tomato juice. Stir and simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar, cinnamon, mint, parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Strain and let it cool.
Prepare the Pasta
- In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, then add the stock cube and salt. Add the pasta and boil for 12 - 14 minutes. Stir so they don't stick together.
- Turn off the heat and let the pasta sit in the pot for 5 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and reserve 2 cups of the cooking water.
Next, prepare the Béchamel Sauce:
- Pour the sunflower oil into a saucepan and when it heats up, add the flour. Whisk continuously with a whisk (or balloon whisk) for 2 - 3 minutes, then add the milk and the reserved pasta water.
- When the sauce starts to thicken, add the eggs and whisk vigorously. Add the halloumi, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until the sauce thickens.
- In a large bowl or baking dish, combine the pasta, 1 cup of grated halloumi, the minced meat, and two large ladles of béchamel sauce. Mix everything and transfer it to a large ovenproof dish measuring 8x27x40 cm.
- If you prefer, you can use 2 smaller baking dishes measuring 8x23x32 cm. Spread the remaining béchamel sauce on top and sprinkle with the grated halloumi and, if desired, a little cinnamon.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (fan-assisted) for 50 minutes.
