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1
Cook the Pasta Until Just Underdone
10 Mins • Cooking
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Cook the penne in the boiling salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet says — it will finish in the oven. Drain, toss with a drizzle of olive oil so it does not stick, and set aside.
Undercooking the pasta is essential — pasta cooked fully now will turn soft and mushy after 35 minutes in the oven.
Done when: Pasta firm and slightly underdone in the centre — it finishes cooking in the bake.
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2
Make the Spiced Beef and Tomato Sauce
20 Mins • Cooking
Medium-high heat, about 180°C (355°F)
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and cook for 4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook for 8–10 minutes until browned all over and no pink remains. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin, half the salt and the pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes until thick.
Let the beef brown properly before you stir it too much — constant stirring steams it grey instead of browning it, and the browned bits are where the flavour lives.
Done when: Beef browned with no pink left, sauce thick and dark red — ground meat is safe at 71°C (160°F).
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3
Make the Thick Bechamel
10 Mins • Cooking
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes until it smells nutty and turns pale gold. Take it off the heat, pour in the warm milk a little at a time, whisking hard after each addition, then return to the heat and stir for 5–6 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with the nutmeg and the rest of the salt, take off the heat, and whisk in the beaten eggs.
Add the milk slowly and whisk hard — a little at a time is what keeps the sauce smooth. If lumps do appear, push the sauce through a sieve.
Done when: Thick, smooth sauce that coats the back of a spoon; no lumps.
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4
Layer Pasta, Beef and Bechamel
5 Mins • Hands-On
No heat
Spread half the pasta in the buttered dish and pour over half the bechamel, tossing gently to coat. Spoon the beef sauce over it in an even layer, then add the rest of the pasta. Pour over the remaining bechamel, spread it to the edges, and scatter the grated mozzarella on top.
Push the bechamel right to the edges of the dish — the corners are the first place to dry out in the oven.
Done when: Three even layers — pasta and bechamel, beef, pasta and bechamel — with cheese on top.
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5
Bake Until Golden, Then Rest
35 Mins • Cooking
Oven 190°C (375°F)
Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30–35 minutes until the top is deep golden and bubbling at the edges. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting so the layers hold. Cut into squares and serve hot.
If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes — the centre still needs its time.
Done when: Top deep golden and bubbling; the centre is hot through and the layers hold when cut.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the bake for 10 minutes before cutting — this is what lets it hold its layers when you serve it. Cut into squares, lift each one out with a wide spatula, and serve hot.
Egypt
1h 15m
