# Egyptian Béchamel Pasta That Slices Clean

> A béchamel bake collapses when you cut it for two reasons: **the béchamel was too thin**, and **you cut it while hot**. The sauce must coat the back of a spoon and hold a clear line when you draw a finger through it, and the tray needs **20 minutes** out of the oven before the knife goes in.

**Egyptian Cuisine · 85 min · 8 servings · 520 kcal per serving**

Béchamel pasta is the most recognisable tray on an Egyptian table, and its real test is the moment you cut it. A slice that stands up on the plate means two things were done right.

## Ingredients

- 500 g — penne pasta
- 500 g — minced beef
- 2 — onions, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp — tomato paste
- 6 tbsp — butter
- 6 tbsp — plain flour
- 5 cups — warm milk
- 1 — egg
- 1 cup — mozzarella
- 1/2 tsp — nutmeg
- 1 tsp — mixed spices
- 1 1/2 tsp — salt

## Method

1. **Under-cook the pasta** — Boil the pasta **two minutes short of the packet time** in salted water. It finishes cooking in the oven; fully cooked pasta turns to paste and collapses.
2. **The meat layer** — Brown the onion, add the mince over **high heat** until browned and its liquid has cooked off, then the paste, spices and salt, and cook **10 minutes** until dry.
3. **The roux** — Melt the butter, add the flour and stir over medium heat for **3 minutes** until it looks sandy and smells like biscuits. Raw flour tastes of paste.
4. **Warm milk, gradually** — Pour in the **warm** milk gradually, whisking constantly with a wire whisk. Cold milk on a hot roux lumps instantly.
5. **The right consistency** — Keep whisking for **8 minutes** until the sauce **coats the back of a spoon and holds a line** when you draw a finger through it. Any thinner means a collapsing tray.
6. **Egg after cooling** — Take it off the heat, add the nutmeg, let it cool **5 minutes**, then whisk in the beaten egg quickly. The egg adds structure.
7. **Assemble** — Toss **a third of the béchamel through the pasta**, spread half of it, then the meat, then the rest of the pasta, then the remaining béchamel on top, and scatter over the mozzarella.
8. **Bake** — Bake at **190°C for 35 minutes** until golden on top. If it colours too early, cover with foil and carry on.
9. **The mandatory rest** — Leave it **20 minutes** out of the oven before cutting. Béchamel sets as it cools — cutting it hot puts it on the plate as a puddle.

## Tips

- 20 minutes of rest before cutting — the single most important step in the whole dish.
- Béchamel should coat a spoon and hold a line; any thinner and it runs.
- Milk warm, not cold and not hot, added gradually with constant whisking.
- Tossing a third of the sauce through the pasta stops it drying out and clumping.

## FAQ

### Why does the tray collapse when I cut it?
The béchamel was too thin, or you cut it hot. It must coat the back of a spoon and hold a line, and the tray needs 20 minutes of rest out of the oven so it can set.

### Why does my béchamel go lumpy?
The milk was cold, or you added it all at once. Warm the milk and pour it onto the roux gradually while whisking with a wire whisk — done that way it cannot lump.

### Can I prepare it the night before?
Yes — assemble it completely, cover and refrigerate overnight, then bake the next day with an extra 10 minutes. It also freezes unbaked for 3 months and goes straight from freezer to oven.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/egyptian-cuisine/egyptian-bechamel-pasta-clean-slices
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-23