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Cypriot makaronia tou fournou is a baked pasta dish from Cyprus, made with long tubular macaroni, a cinnamon-spiced beef sauce, and a thick béchamel topping that turns golden in the oven.
It tastes rich and a little sweet from the cinnamon, with a savory meat sauce underneath and a custardy, cheesy top layer. The béchamel here is thicker than a French one because it gets eggs mixed in, so it bakes up firm enough to cut into neat squares.
I use ground beef, but you can use pork or a mix, and grated halloumi in the béchamel instead of the Cypriot kefalotyri if that’s what you have on hand.
This is a good dish for a Sunday dinner or for feeding a crowd. It takes time between the sauce, the béchamel, and the bake, but most of it is just simmering while you do other things.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One dish feeds a crowd with layers of pasta and meat sauce
- Cinnamon and halloumi give it a flavor Italian baked pasta doesn’t have
- Leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day
- You can build it a day ahead and bake it right before dinner
Ingredient Notes
- Long macaroni: Cypriot cooks use a thick, hollow long pasta. Ziti or penne work if you can’t find it, though the bite will be a bit different.
- Ground beef: A mix of beef and pork is common in Cyprus too. Keep some fat in the mince so the sauce doesn’t turn dry.
- Ground cinnamon: This is what gives the sauce its Cypriot flavor. Don’t skip it, even though it feels unusual with beef.
- Halloumi: Kefalotyri is the traditional cheese here, but grated halloumi melts well and is easier to find outside Cyprus.
- Eggs: These go into the béchamel so it sets firm like a custard once baked. Temper them first so they don’t scramble.
- Fine semolina: A light dusting on the bottom of the dish soaks up extra moisture so the base doesn’t turn soggy.
Cypriot Makaronia Tou Fournou: Baked Pasta with Béchamel
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 190 C / 375 F. Grease the 33 x 23 cm / 9 x 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle 1 tbsp of the semolina evenly over the bottom.
- Cook the macaroni in a 6-quart / 5.7 L pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package instructions, so it stays firm. Drain and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and the remaining 1 tbsp semolina.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch / 30 cm skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for 8 minutes, until browned.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, red wine, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and holds its shape on a spoon. Remove the bay leaf.
- Melt the butter in a 2-quart / 2 L saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it smells toasted.
- Gradually whisk in the warm milk, a splash at a time, until smooth. Keep whisking over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and nutmeg. Cool for 5 minutes, then whisk a spoonful of the warm béchamel into the beaten eggs to temper them, before stirring the egg mixture back into the pan.
- Stir in half of the grated halloumi until melted.
- Spread half of the cooked pasta in the baking dish. Spoon the meat sauce evenly over it, then top with the remaining pasta.
- Pour the béchamel over the top, spreading it to the edges with a spatula so it covers the pasta completely. Sprinkle with the remaining halloumi.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and just set, with only a slight jiggle in the center.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Cutting too soon will make the béchamel layer slide apart.
Notes
- Simmer the meat sauce until thick, about 20 to 25 minutes, so the pasta doesn't turn watery.
- Whisk the béchamel constantly so it doesn't stick or turn lumpy on the bottom of the pan.
- Grease the baking dish well before adding the semolina so the first layer doesn't stick.
- Cool the béchamel for 5 minutes before whisking in the eggs to keep them from scrambling.
Tips for Success
- Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of the package time so it doesn’t turn mushy after baking.
- Temper the eggs with a spoonful of warm béchamel before whisking them in, so they don’t scramble.
- Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before cutting, or the béchamel layer will slide apart.
- Taste the meat sauce before assembling, since halloumi and kefalotyri are already salty.
- Sprinkle semolina on the bottom of the dish to soak up extra moisture from the pasta.
Variations
- Swap ground beef for ground pork, or use half beef and half pork like some Cypriot cooks do.
- Add a handful of grated kefalotyri to the meat sauce for extra sharpness alongside the béchamel cheese.
- Use ziti or penne if you can’t find long tubular macaroni, though the texture will be slightly different.
Storage and Reheating
Cypriot makaronia tou fournou keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. The béchamel firms up as it chills, which actually makes it easier to cut into clean squares for leftovers.
To reheat, cover a portion with foil and warm it in the oven at 180 C / 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through. A microwave works too, about 2 to 3 minutes per plate on medium power.
Baked and fully cooled squares also freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven as above so the top doesn’t turn rubbery.
Serving Suggestions
Cypriot makaronia tou fournou is rich on its own, so I keep the sides simple. A plain green salad or a cucumber and tomato salad with lemon and olive oil cuts through the richness.
Crusty bread is good for scooping up any sauce that escapes the squares. A glass of dry red wine works well alongside the cinnamon and beef.
For a family dinner or a gathering, cut it into squares straight from the baking dish and let people help themselves. It holds its shape well once it’s had its 10 minute rest.
FAQ
Why did my Cypriot makaronia tou fournou fall apart when I cut it?
It’s almost always the resting time. The egg-béchamel layer needs 10 minutes out of the oven to firm up before you cut into it. If you slice it right away, the top layer is still soft and slides off the pasta below it.
Can I use ziti or penne instead of the long Cypriot macaroni?
Yes, ziti or penne both work fine if you can’t find long tubular macaroni. The texture will be a little different since the traditional pasta is thicker and holds the sauce inside the tube, but the flavor stays the same.
Can I make Cypriot makaronia tou fournou a day ahead?
Yes, you can assemble the whole dish up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge unbaked. Bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, or add 10 extra minutes to the bake time if it goes in cold.
What cheese should I use in the béchamel besides halloumi?
Kefalotyri is the traditional choice in Cyprus, but halloumi or a hard Pecorino work well too. Halloumi is saltier, so taste your béchamel before adding extra salt, since the topping and the meat sauce both carry cheese and seasoning.
What goes well with this baked macaroni casserole for dinner?
A simple green salad or a cucumber and tomato salad with lemon dressing balances the richness. Crusty bread and a glass of dry red wine round out the meal, and you don’t really need another starch alongside it.
Is Cypriot makaronia tou fournou the same as Greek pastitsio?
They’re related but not the same dish. Pastitsio usually layers the béchamel between two layers of pasta with the meat sauce sandwiched in the middle, while Cypriot makaronia tou fournou often pours the béchamel over the top and relies more heavily on cinnamon in the meat sauce.