Maltese Style Macaroni Food

IMQARRUN IL-FORN: MALTESE BAKED MACARONI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. Heat olive oil over medium and cook the onion until soft and just golden.
• 2. If you are using garlic, add it at this point and cook for a couple more minutes, being careful not to burn it.
• 3. Add the ground meat and pancetta (if using), season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, breaking up the ground meat as you stir, until browned, about 10-15 minutes
• 4. Add the crushed tomato and tomato paste, mix well and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, and then uncovered for an additional 30 minutes, adding a little water if necessary to make sure the mixture doesn't dry out.
• 5. While the meat and tomato sauce simmers, cook the pasta in generously salted water, draining it and rinsing with cold water about 2 minutes before it's done so it's cooked just less than al dente.
• 6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• 7. When the sauce is done, check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
• 8. In a large bowl, gently mix the sauce and the pasta, being careful not to break up the noodles and check for seasoning one more time, adjusting as necessary.
• 9. Break the eggs into a separate bowl, beat them and mix in the Parmesan, then gently incorporate the egg / cheese mixture into the pasta / sauce mixture.
• 10. Grease a large, oven-proof, baking dish (13x9" is a good size) and fill it with the pasta mixture.
• 11. Sprinkle the grated edam or cheddar cheese on top of everything and bake for 30-45 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden and crisp.
• 12. When done cooking, remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, cut, serve.

IMQARRUN IL-FORN (MALTESE MACARONI CHEESE)

Steps:

• Cook the macaroni per the directions on the package. When the noodles are al dente, drain them and then fill the pot with cold water. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat and saute the onions and garlic until the onions are golden brown. Add the beef, pork and bacon and saute until meat is browned.
• Add the red wine, crushed tomatoes, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drain the noodles and pour half into a well buttered baking pan.
• Top noodles with half of the meat mixture. Add remaining noodles and top with meat mixture. Using two wooden spoons, fold meat and noodles together in a gentle tossing motion. It does not need to be combined completely. Smooth the mixture in the pan.
• In a small bowl, blend the two eggs, yogurt and half of the Parmesan cheese with a fork. Mix thoroughly and pour over entire casserole. Sprinkle remaining cheese across top of casserole.
• Cook for 30 minutes, until top becomes dark and crunchy. Allow to cool out of the oven for 15 minutes. Best when cooled completely, refrigerated covered overnight and reheated the next day.