Baked penne béchamel is a pasta bake built around a from-scratch white sauce — flour, butter, milk, Parmesan — with pre-cooked ground beef and sautéed zucchini folded in, then finished in a hot oven until the top browns. It comes together in 45 minutes and uses one pot for the sauce, one pan for the zucchini, and one baking dish. That’s the honest reason to make it on a weeknight.
The technique that matters
The béchamel is the whole dish, so the roux needs your attention. Cooking the butter and flour together for a full 5–7 minutes over medium heat — while whisking — removes the raw flour taste. Don’t rush this step. The mixture should turn a pale gold before you add the milk. The second thing that matters: the milk must be hot when it goes in. Cold milk hits a hot roux and lumps almost immediately. Warm it in a separate pot until you see steam, then add it gradually while whisking. Once the sauce is smooth and thickened after its 15-minute simmer, the rest of the assembly is just combining and baking — nothing technical left to do.
Ingredient notes
- Asafoetida: Listed in the instructions but not the ingredient quantities — use a small pinch (about ⅛ teaspoon). It’s a pungent resin powder sold in small tins at Indian grocery stores. It cooks out to a mild, onion-garlic background note. Skip it entirely if you can’t find it; the dish still works.
- Pre-cooked ground beef: The recipe calls for beef that’s already cooked. Brown it ahead of time in a dry pan until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C) internally. Drain off any fat before adding it to the pasta mix.
- Whole wheat penne: Regular penne works fine. Whole wheat holds its shape a little better through the bake, but either is acceptable.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated melts more evenly than the pre-grated kind and gives a better crust on top. Pecorino Romano is a workable substitute.
Storage and reheating
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered container. Reheat portions in a microwave with a splash of milk stirred in — this loosens the béchamel, which tightens up considerably once cold. Cover loosely and heat in 60-second intervals, stirring between each, until hot through. You can also reheat the whole baking dish covered with foil at 350°F (175°C) for about 15–20 minutes. This dish freezes reasonably well for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Skip the garnish of extra Parmesan before freezing — add fresh cheese only when reheating, not worth the extra dish of prep ahead of time.
What can go wrong
- Sauce is lumpy: This almost always means the milk went in cold or too fast. If lumps form, take the pot off the heat and whisk hard. A quick pass with an immersion blender in the pot will rescue a lumpy sauce without dirtying extra equipment.
- Pasta turns mushy in the oven: Cook the penne slightly under the package time — it will finish cooking during the 18-minute bake. If it’s fully cooked before it goes in, it will be soft by the time it comes out.
- Top doesn’t brown: If the Parmesan on top looks pale after 18 minutes, switch the oven to broil for 2–3 minutes. Watch it closely — it goes from pale to burnt fast.
- Bake is dry and tight: The béchamel thickens further in the oven. If your sauce looked very thick before assembly, stir in an extra ¼ cup of warm milk before transferring to the baking dish.
- Zucchini releases water into the bake: Make sure the zucchini is properly sautéed until the edges are lightly golden, not just softened. Undercooked zucchini holds moisture that dilutes the sauce during baking.
Baked Penne Béchamel with Beef and Zucchini
Equipment
Ingredients
10 ounces penne pasta - whole wheat, 280g
8 ounces ground beef - pre-cooked and drained, 225g (minced beef)
4 tablespoons all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - 30g / 1 oz (plain flour in Australia and UK)
5 tablespoons butter - 70g / 2.5 oz
2 ½ cups milk - 600ml
1 medium zucchini - sliced in quarters
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese - freshly grated, 25g / 1 oz
salt - to taste, approximately 1/2 teaspoon / 3g for the béchamel, plus more for pasta water and zucchini- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida - hing — omit if unavailable; it adds a subtle onion-garlic flavour
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil - 30ml, vegetable or canola — for sautéing and greasing
Instructions
- Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a stainless steel saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour a spoon at a time and whisk to incorporate. Keep on cooking while whisking for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture becomes golden.5 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)
- Warm the milk in a separate small saucepan until steaming (do not boil). Gradually add the hot milk to the roux in three additions, whisking continuously after each addition until fully incorporated before adding more. Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Add salt, asafoetida, cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook for 15 minutes, whisking frequently.2 1/2 cups milk, salt, 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- Meanwhile, sauté zucchini over medium heat in an oiled pan. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.1 medium zucchini, 2 tablespoons neutral oil, salt
- Cook pasta in salted water until done per package instructions and drain.10 ounces penne pasta, salt
- Fold the cooked pasta and sautéed zucchini into the béchamel sauce along with the pre-cooked ground beef. Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 9×9 inch (23x23cm) baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top in an even layer. Bake in an oven preheated to 425°F / 220°C (200°C fan-forced) for 18-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbling at the edges.10 ounces penne pasta, 1 medium zucchini, 8 ounces ground beef, 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons neutral oil
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use raw ground beef instead of pre-cooked?
You can, but you need to cook it fully to 160°F (71°C) before adding it to the pasta mix — don’t rely on the oven bake to cook raw ground beef through. Brown it in a pan, drain the fat, then proceed with the recipe as written.
Can I make the béchamel ahead of time?
Yes — make it up to a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming. Reheat it gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk, whisking until smooth, before mixing with the pasta.
My béchamel tastes floury even after cooking. What happened?
The roux didn’t cook long enough before the milk was added. The flour needs a full 5–7 minutes of cooking in the butter over medium heat to lose its raw taste — it should smell slightly nutty and look pale gold. If the finished sauce still tastes floury, simmer it for an additional 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
Try these next
- Beef Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Ultimate Cheesy Beef Bake
- Hearty Beef Cauliflower Bake
