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Cyprus Passion

Experience the rich and savory flavors of Cyprus with our traditional ‘Makaronia tou fournou’ recipe! This oven-baked pasta dish is a staple of Cypriot cuisine and features al dente macaroni, juicy ground beef, and a delicious tomato sauce infused with fragrant spices like cinnamon and allspice. Topped with creamy béchamel sauce and sprinkled with grated cheese, this dish is baked to golden perfection, creating a satisfying crunch that pairs perfectly with the warm and savory flavors of the filling. Whether you’re looking for a hearty family dinner or an impressive dish to serve at your next gathering, our ‘Makaronia tou fournou’ is sure to impress. So, gather your ingredients and get ready to savor a taste of Cyprus right in your own kitchen!

Ingredients

  • 1kg ground pork

  • 2 large onions chopped finely

  • 1 cup of tomato juice (fresh or canned will do)

  • 1 cup of fresh parsley

  • ¼ cup of olive oil

  • ½ cup of water

  • ½ cup of white wine

  • Dried Mint

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • A pinch of cinnamon

Makaronia tou fournou (cypriot oven bake makaroni)

For the Bechamel:

  • ½ cup of grated halloumi

  • 3 cups of full fat milk

  • 1 cup of thick cream (fresh cream)

  • 5 tablespoons of flour

  • 3 eggs beaten

  • ½ cup of water

  • 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

  • For the pasta:

  • Pasta- penne 500gr

  • 1 piece of chicken stock

  • ½ of halloumi, grated

  • ¾ of a cup Dried Halloumi grated or dried anari grated and some dried mint

or

  • Cinammon (1 tablespoon) A deep baking dish to make this recipe as the pasta, ground pork and béchamel are assembled in layers

Instructions:

Preparation of the pasta:

Place the pasta and chicken stock in plenty of boiling water and let it cook. Once cooked drain the pasta and
set aside.
Pour a few drops of olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish and evenly spread ¾ of the pasta. Spread the grated halloumi in the pasta you placed in the baking dish.

Preparation of the ground pork mixture:

Chop the onions finely and sauté them in a pot using a bit of olive oil. Once the onions become translucent add the minced meat with the water and let it cook for about 20 minutes. When almost all the water is absorbed add the tomato juice. At this point add the parsley, dried mint, salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste.
Pour the mixture evenly on top of the pasta in the banking dish.
Then place the pasta we left behind on top of the ground pork mixture.
You have already put together 3 of the 4 layers this recipe entails to complete your dish

Preparation of the béchamel:

Place all the ingredients needed for the béchamel (except the halloumi) in a pot and stir well with a whisk. When there are no crumbs in the mixture left, place the pot on medium fire and keep stirring until the cream has thickened. Once thickened add the grated halloumi in the bechamel and stir for another two minutes.
Pour the béchamel in the baking dish.

**Mix the dried mint in your dried grated halloumi or the grated anari and sprinkle evenly on top of the béchamel. In the case you cannot easily find dried halloumi or anari you, skip the dried mint also and replace with cinnamon. So once you pour the béchamel in the baking dish you can sprinkle some cinnamon (about 1 tablespoon) evenly over the cream and you are done!
Bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes in a pre-heated fan forced oven.

Let it cool down a bit before serving

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