serves
8-10
prep
1 hour
cook
30 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
8-10
people
preparation
1
hour
cooking
30
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Growing up, I spent the majority of my time at Yiayia and Bapou’s house. My love for cooking and fresh produce stems from spending much of my life watching or cooking with Yiayia, under the watchful eye of Bapou. Yiayia taught me everything I know about food.
I knew before I’d even opened the front door what she was going to cook for dinner that night. I’d smell the spices wa ing outside as I walked up the porch steps and I’d start telling myself, ‘No after-school snacks – save some space for the good stuff!’ Yiayia would make the biggest pot of bechamel (my favourite part!) and I remember sitting on the kitchen floor between her feet licking the pot clean.
Among the countless dishes she has taught me, which I’ve eaten with her or that she has cooked for me, this is truly the one that feels like home. It’s the one that always takes me back to her kitchen floor and the dish that I will continue to cook for my children and grandchildren for years to come. Even though I’ve added a few personal touches, it’s my way of having her with me always.
Ingredients
- 3–4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 300 g beef mince
- 300 g pork mince
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 185 g (¾ cup) passata
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 500 g dried penne
Halloumi bechamel
- 150 g salted butter
- 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
- 1 litre full-cream milk
- 110 g (¾ cup) grated halloumi, plus extra for sprinkling
- 60 g (½ cup) grated cheddar
- 25 g (¼ cup) grated parmesan
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and grease a large baking dish with oil.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the minces and cook, breaking up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon, for 8–10 minutes, until browned. Add the cinnamon, clove and nutmeg and stir until well combined, then add the passata and 3 tbsp of water. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat and add the penne. Cook for 7–8 minutes until almost al dente, then drain and transfer to the baking dish. Pour the meat sauce over the penne and stir to combine.
4. To make the halloumi bechamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture thickens and resembles wet sand. Gradually add the milk, 500 ml (2 cups) at a time, whisking constantly to stop lumps forming, until thickened. Bring to a gentle boil, then remove from the heat and whisk in all the cheese, the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Spread the bechamel over the pasta and meat sauce in a thick layer, then transfer to the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
Recipe and image from Yiayia Next Door by Daniel & Luke Mancuso (with Yiayia) (Plum, $36.99)
Photography by Mark Roper.
Photography by Mark Roper.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Growing up, I spent the majority of my time at Yiayia and Bapou’s house. My love for cooking and fresh produce stems from spending much of my life watching or cooking with Yiayia, under the watchful eye of Bapou. Yiayia taught me everything I know about food.
I knew before I’d even opened the front door what she was going to cook for dinner that night. I’d smell the spices wa ing outside as I walked up the porch steps and I’d start telling myself, ‘No after-school snacks – save some space for the good stuff!’ Yiayia would make the biggest pot of bechamel (my favourite part!) and I remember sitting on the kitchen floor between her feet licking the pot clean.
Among the countless dishes she has taught me, which I’ve eaten with her or that she has cooked for me, this is truly the one that feels like home. It’s the one that always takes me back to her kitchen floor and the dish that I will continue to cook for my children and grandchildren for years to come. Even though I’ve added a few personal touches, it’s my way of having her with me always.
