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Maltese Baked Macaroni

This baked pasta is one of Malta's most loved traditional foods! Pasta is pre-cooked then mixed in a rich tomato-meat sauce combined with cheese and eggs and baked until the top gets super crunchy.

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Cooking Method
Cuisine
Courses
Difficulty Beginner
Time
Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Servings 6
Best Season Suitable throughout the year
Ingredients
    Main:
  • 600g/1.3lb Rigatoni or Penne Pasta
  • 400g/14oz Ground Beef
  • 1 Small Tin (200g/7oz) Corned Beef
  • 1 Large Onion (diced)
  • 3 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
  • 3 (400g/14oz) Tins Whole Peeled Tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 Tsp Sugar
  • 2 Tsp Mild Curry Powder
  • 1 Tsp Mixed Italian Herbs
  • 1 Gravy Stock Pot or Cube
  • Few dashes Worcestershire Sauce
  • 150g/5.3oz Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 3 Eggs (beaten)
  • 2 Hard boiled eggs
  • 2 Hard boiled eggs (roughly chopped not too small - optional)
  • Salt & Pepper
    • Topping:
  • 100g/1.8oz Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 50g/1.76oz Parmesan Cheese
  • Freshly Ground Pepper
  • Chopped Fresh Parsley for garnish
Method

  1. Preheat oven to 190C/375F.

  2. Cook pasta in salted water but not completely as it will continue baking in the oven. 

  3. In a large deep pan, heat a little olive oil and cook the onions. When they start to soften add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute. 

  4. Add the ground beef, let it cook until no longer pink. Once ready, add the corned beef, herbs, spices, tomato paste, few dashes Worcestershire sauce and gravy stock pot or crumbled cube.

  5. Cook stirring continuously until corned beef is well incorporated. 

  6. Add the whole tomatoes, sugar and season with salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil crushing the tomatoes.

  7. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, until sauce thickens. Stir occasionally. 

  8. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large baking dish and mix in the prepared tomato-meat sauce. 

  9. Stir in the cheese and beaten eggs.

  10. You can either stir in the hard-boiled eggs or remove half of the pasta and crumble the eggs in between the pasta, (I prefer to do it this way so the eggs will stay whole in pieces and not get crushed as they are mixed through with the pasta). 

  11. Top with grated cheddar cheese, parmesan and freshly ground pepper. 

  12. Bake in oven for about 1 hour, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is golden and crunchy. 

  13. Enjoy!

Note
  • Recipe can also be made without the corned beef but I would substitute with ground beef mixed with ground pork.
Read it online: https://lollyskitchen.com.mt/recipe/maltese-baked-macaroni/