Step 1

Let 2 quarts whole milk and 4 large eggs come to room temperature before making the sauce. Grate until you have 1 3/4 cups Kefalotiri or Pecorino Romano cheese.

Step 2

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 2 pounds ground meat. Cook, breaking the meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. If there is a lot of fat in the pan at this point, drain it off.

Step 3

Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened in color. Add 1 can tomato sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. If desired, add 2 whole garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Bring to a boil.

Step 4

Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until there's very little liquid left, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Make the béchamel sauce.

Step 5

Melt 2 sticks unsalted butter in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until starting to darken in color a little bit and the raw flour taste is cooked out, about 3 minutes.

Step 6

Add the milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking with each addition. It will be extremely thick at first, but will thin out. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue whisking. Cook, whisking often, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken up, about 5 minutes. This happens very suddenly, so make sure your full attention is on the béchamel. Once it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat.

Step 7

Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg if desired. Add 1 cup of the cheese and whisk to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking very quickly with each addition to prevent curdling, until combined.

Step 8

Add 1 1/2 pounds dried ziti or pastitsio noodles to the boiling water and cook 2 to 3 minutes more than package directions — you actually want to overcook your pasta a little bit. Meanwhile, cut 4 tablespoons unsalted butter into small pieces.

Step 9

Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add the butter, 3 cups of the béchamel, and the remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Toss until the butter is melted and everything is well coated.

Step 10

Spread 1/4 cup of the béchamel in a 9x13-inch baking dish. If using ziti, arrange 2/3 of the ziti piece by piece in the baking dish in 2 tight, even layers. If using pastitio noodles, just arrange into an even layer. Remove the garlic cloves from the meat sauce, then spread the meat sauce evenly over the pasta. Arrange the remaining pasta evenly over the meat sauce. Pour the remaining béchamel over the pasta until the pasta is completely covered, you may not need it all.

Step 11

Bake until light golden brown, about 45 minutes. If it’s browning too much after 30 minutes, tent loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking. Let cool 45 minutes so the pastitsio has time to set up so that you can cut clean slices. Serve warm. Once sliced, reheat if desired, serve, and enjoy!