MY PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Meat Base: Saute onion with ground beef, breaking meat up as you go, until meat is almost done.
• Drain off any excess fat.
• Add garlic, cumin and flour, stir together well, and saute a minute or two more.
• Add remaining meat base ingredients and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Turn off heat and cover.
• Pasta: Cook pasta until al dente in an ample quantity of salted water to which a bit of vegetable oil has been added (helps keep strands from sticking together).
• Drain well.
• Custard Topping: Melt butter in saucepan and mix in the flour.
• Let it bubble a minute or two or until you can smell a slightly nutty flavor, but do not let it brown.
• Gradually add most of the milk, whisking.
• Let it cook about 10 minutes, stirring, until well thickened, then remove from heat.
• Mix the nutmeg, salt and pepper into the grated cheese.
• Add the eggs to the remaining milk in your measuring cup and whisk.
• Whisk the egg and milk mixture into the sauce, then whisk the cheese mixture into the sauce also.
• Assembly: Layer 1/2 of the pasta in the bottom of your baking pan.
• Then add all of the meat sauce, removing the bay leaf and any stems from the marjoram.
• Top with remaining pasta, then pour the custard sauce over all.
• If everything is still hot when you assemble it, bake at 400 degrees Farenheit for about 35 minutes.
• If merely warm, or if using a glass or ceramic pan instead of a metal one, bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Farenheit.
• Top should be slightly golden, edges slightly brown.