Uploaded January 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Filipino Baked Macaroni
Baked Macaroni is a Filipino-style pasta casserole with a meaty sauce and a layer of creamy béchamel sauce topped with melted cheese. This easy, delicious meal is perfect for feeding a crowd!
Equipment
4-quart casserole or oven-safe dish
Saucepan for the pasta
Sauté pan or Dutch oven for the meat sauce
Saucepan for the béchamel sauce
Ingredients
For the pasta and sauce:
1 pound macaroni or elbows
¼ cup olive oil sub: neutral oil
6 garlic cloves minced
1 yellow onion minced
½ red bell pepper minced
½ green bell pepper minced
1 can (6-ounce) tomato paste
2 pounds ground meat, beef, pork, veal, or chicken
1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes sub: tomato sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons sugar (or more)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
For the béchamel sauce:
3 cups warm milk
⅓ cup butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
4 ounces cheddar cheese (about 1 ½ cups ) grated
4 ounces mozzarella cheese (about 1 ½ cups) grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Over medium-high heat, sauté garlic, onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper in olive oil until softened and caramelized for 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add tomato paste and sauté until it turns brownish, about 3 minutes.
3. Add ground meat, break it up, and cook until browned for about 15 minutes. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt (use less for table salt) and ground pepper to taste.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of water, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried bay leaves, sugar (or more), salt (about 1 teaspoon kosher salt), and pepper to taste. Mix them up.
5. Cover and let it simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Taste it and adjust as needed. After cooking, remove the bay leaves. Set the sauce aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 400° F (204° C). Boil a pot of salted water for the pasta.
7. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir until it forms a thick paste or a roux. Cook for about a minute before it turns brown, just long enough to remove the raw flour taste.
8. Add some warm milk to loosen up the thick roux, then add the rest. Add nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and black or white pepper to taste.
9. Whisk until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Set it aside.
10. Return to the boiling water and undercook the pasta 2 minutes before it is al dente.
11. Drain the pasta and combine it with the meat sauce in a casserole dish. Pack them lightly and even out the top.
12. Spread the béchamel sauce evenly, then sprinkle cheddar and mozzarella cheese on top.
13. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the top has nicely browned.
Thanks for watching! Don't forget to 👍 LIKE, leave a 💬 COMMENT below, and ❤️ SUBSCRIBE to my channel! If you like it so much, please feel free to 🤝 SHARE this video too.
ℹ️ Recipes by Nora - Your source for delicious Filipino recipes
Hello! My name is Nora. I'm here to share authentic Filipino recipes and foreign-inspired dishes beloved by Filipinos. Browse through recipes and learn how to recreate them with easy-to-find ingredients, detailed instructions with photos, and cooking videos.
#recipesbynora
Filipino Baked Macaroni
Baked Macaroni is a Filipino-style pasta casserole with a meaty sauce and a layer of creamy béchamel sauce topped with melted cheese. This easy, delicious meal is perfect for feeding a crowd!
Equipment
4-quart casserole or oven-safe dish
Saucepan for the pasta
Sauté pan or Dutch oven for the meat sauce
Saucepan for the béchamel sauce
Ingredients
For the pasta and sauce:
1 pound macaroni or elbows
¼ cup olive oil sub: neutral oil
6 garlic cloves minced
1 yellow onion minced
½ red bell pepper minced
½ green bell pepper minced
1 can (6-ounce) tomato paste
2 pounds ground meat, beef, pork, veal, or chicken
1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes sub: tomato sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons sugar (or more)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
For the béchamel sauce:
3 cups warm milk
⅓ cup butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
4 ounces cheddar cheese (about 1 ½ cups ) grated
4 ounces mozzarella cheese (about 1 ½ cups) grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Over medium-high heat, sauté garlic, onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper in olive oil until softened and caramelized for 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add tomato paste and sauté until it turns brownish, about 3 minutes.
3. Add ground meat, break it up, and cook until browned for about 15 minutes. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt (use less for table salt) and ground pepper to taste.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of water, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried bay leaves, sugar (or more), salt (about 1 teaspoon kosher salt), and pepper to taste. Mix them up.
5. Cover and let it simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Taste it and adjust as needed. After cooking, remove the bay leaves. Set the sauce aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 400° F (204° C). Boil a pot of salted water for the pasta.
7. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir until it forms a thick paste or a roux. Cook for about a minute before it turns brown, just long enough to remove the raw flour taste.
8. Add some warm milk to loosen up the thick roux, then add the rest. Add nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and black or white pepper to taste.
9. Whisk until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Set it aside.
10. Return to the boiling water and undercook the pasta 2 minutes before it is al dente.
11. Drain the pasta and combine it with the meat sauce in a casserole dish. Pack them lightly and even out the top.
12. Spread the béchamel sauce evenly, then sprinkle cheddar and mozzarella cheese on top.
13. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the top has nicely browned.
Thanks for watching! Don't forget to 👍 LIKE, leave a 💬 COMMENT below, and ❤️ SUBSCRIBE to my channel! If you like it so much, please feel free to 🤝 SHARE this video too.
ℹ️ Recipes by Nora - Your source for delicious Filipino recipes
Hello! My name is Nora. I'm here to share authentic Filipino recipes and foreign-inspired dishes beloved by Filipinos. Browse through recipes and learn how to recreate them with easy-to-find ingredients, detailed instructions with photos, and cooking videos.
#recipesbynora
