Makaronia tou Fournou
Makaronia tou Fournou means pasta baked in the oven and is a common dish in Cyprus, often served as a main course, with a salad but in Cyprus it is an essential dish during all celebrations.
Ingredients
1 package of tubular pasta (500 g), ideally bucatini or any tube-shaped pasta like rigatoni
1/2 cup of grated halloumi cheese or dry anari
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 egg white
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the meat sauce
1 lb ground pork or a mix of pork and beef or veal
1 onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups tomato puree
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried mint
Salt
Black pepper
For the Béchamel sauce
6 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup of grated halloumi cheese or dried anari
Salt
Preparation
In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil and add salt.
Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions, for about 10 minutes, as they will be cooked later on.
Remove from the heat, drain and mix a tablespoon olive oil.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion until translucent.
Add the ground meat and sauté for a few minutes.
While mixing, add salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and tomatoes and cook over
moderate heat for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and mix in parsley.
Béchamel sauce
Heat the milk prior to preparing the sauce.
Beat the egg yolks separately.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, salt and nutmeg and whisk thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the warm milk, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and creamy.
Add the egg yolks slowly and mix until they are incorporated.
Stir in grated halloumi cheese and set aside.
Beat the egg white, reserved from the Béchamel sauce, and mix with the pasta as well as 1/4 cup of the grated halloumi and the dried mint.
In a baking pan (about 13°—9 inches), layer half of the pasta.
Put the ground meat on top and then add the remaining pasta on top.
Cover pasta with the Béchamel sauce and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of grated halloumi and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Bake in an oven preheated to 350 F, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden on top.
Marty Made It 