Filipino-style Baked Macaroni

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190°C and grease a 23-by-33-cm dish with 1 teaspoon oil. Boil the macaroni 2 minutes short of the package time, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, and drain.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat, brown the sliced hotdogs for 2 minutes, and transfer them to a plate.
3. In the same pan, cook the onion and bell pepper over medium heat for 4 minutes; add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Add the beef, break it into small pieces, and cook for 6–8 minutes until browned; continue as needed until it reaches 71°C (160°F), rather than relying on colour alone. Spoon off excess fat.
5. Cook the tomato paste for 1 minute, then add tomato sauce, banana ketchup, broth, oregano, pepper, and hotdogs; simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until thick but still loose enough to coat pasta.
6. For the cheese sauce, melt the butter over medium-low heat, whisk in the flour for 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in the warm milk; simmer for 4–6 minutes until it coats a spoon.
7. Remove from the heat, stir in half of each cheese and the nutmeg until smooth, and thin with reserved pasta water if too stiff to spread.
8. Toss the macaroni with the meat sauce, adding reserved pasta water if it looks dry, then spread it in the prepared dish.
9. Cover completely with cheese sauce, scatter over the remaining cheeses, and bake for 20–25 minutes until bubbling, golden in spots, and at least 74°C in the center.
10. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting so the sauce settles and portions hold their shape.