Beef Sauce: Cheese Sauce:
700g beef mince 90g butter
1 Tbsp olive oil ½ cup plain flour
1 medium onion 3 cups milk
2 sticks celery 1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup orange juice 1 cup grated kefalotyri cheese
700g bottle tomato passata 2 eggs yolks
1 cup beef stock To Assemble:
2 tsp ground cinnamon 400g long tubular macaroni
1 Tbsp dried oregano leaves 2/3 cup grated cheese
1 fresh bay leaf 2 egg whites
Salt and pepper 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
Pinch of sugar 30g butter, melted
Method:
1. For the beef sauce, heat a large, deep-sided non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Crumble in 1/3 of the mince, cook until browned, letting liquid evaporate. Remove, reheat pan and repeat with remaining two batches, then set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add oil, onion and celery, and cook until onion is soft. Return the mince, add orange juice and stir occasionally until mince has absorbed the orange juice.
3. Add tomato passata, stock, cinnamon, oregano and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low, partly cover and simmer for 40 – 45 minutes. Add a little water if needed. Completed sauce should be slightly runny. Remove bay leaf.
4. For the cheese sauce, heat butter in a saucepan – medium heat – add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds. Add milk gradually, stir until smooth. Add nutmeg and season. Stir constantly until mixture boils, and thickens. Cool slightly, then stir in cheese and egg yolk.
5. To assemble, preheat oven to 180 C. grease a deep, rectangular ovenproof dish with a little melted butter. Mix cooked macaroni with egg white and grated cheese. Add half macaroni to baking dish and top with meat sauce. Repeat with macaroni, then cheese sauce. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle breadcrumbs and butter. Cook for another 20 – 30 minutes, or until thoroughly hot and golden. Remove from oven and stand for 10 minutes before serving.
700g beef mince 90g butter
1 Tbsp olive oil ½ cup plain flour
1 medium onion 3 cups milk
2 sticks celery 1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup orange juice 1 cup grated kefalotyri cheese
700g bottle tomato passata 2 eggs yolks
1 cup beef stock To Assemble:
2 tsp ground cinnamon 400g long tubular macaroni
1 Tbsp dried oregano leaves 2/3 cup grated cheese
1 fresh bay leaf 2 egg whites
Salt and pepper 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
Pinch of sugar 30g butter, melted
Method:
1. For the beef sauce, heat a large, deep-sided non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Crumble in 1/3 of the mince, cook until browned, letting liquid evaporate. Remove, reheat pan and repeat with remaining two batches, then set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add oil, onion and celery, and cook until onion is soft. Return the mince, add orange juice and stir occasionally until mince has absorbed the orange juice.
3. Add tomato passata, stock, cinnamon, oregano and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low, partly cover and simmer for 40 – 45 minutes. Add a little water if needed. Completed sauce should be slightly runny. Remove bay leaf.
4. For the cheese sauce, heat butter in a saucepan – medium heat – add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds. Add milk gradually, stir until smooth. Add nutmeg and season. Stir constantly until mixture boils, and thickens. Cool slightly, then stir in cheese and egg yolk.
5. To assemble, preheat oven to 180 C. grease a deep, rectangular ovenproof dish with a little melted butter. Mix cooked macaroni with egg white and grated cheese. Add half macaroni to baking dish and top with meat sauce. Repeat with macaroni, then cheese sauce. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle breadcrumbs and butter. Cook for another 20 – 30 minutes, or until thoroughly hot and golden. Remove from oven and stand for 10 minutes before serving.