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1
Meat Base: Saute onion with ground beef, breaking meat up as you go, until meat is almost done.
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2
Drain off any excess fat.
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3
Add garlic, cumin and flour, stir together well, and saute a minute or two more.
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4
Add remaining meat base ingredients and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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5
Turn off heat and cover.
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6
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).
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7
Drain well.
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8
Custard Topping: Melt butter in saucepan and mix in the flour.
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9
Let it bubble a minute or two or until you can smell a slightly nutty flavor, but do not let it brown.
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10
Gradually add most of the milk, whisking.
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11
Let it cook about 10 minutes, stirring, until well thickened, then remove from heat.
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12
Mix the nutmeg, salt and pepper into the grated cheese.
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13
Add the eggs to the remaining milk in your measuring cup and whisk.
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14
Whisk the egg and milk mixture into the sauce, then whisk the cheese mixture into the sauce also.
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15
Assembly: Layer 1/2 of the pasta in the bottom of your baking pan.
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16
Then add all of the meat sauce, removing the bay leaf and any stems from the marjoram.
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17
Top with remaining pasta, then pour the custard sauce over all.
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18
If everything is still hot when you assemble it, bake at 400 degrees Farenheit for about 35 minutes.
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19
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.
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20
Top should be slightly golden, edges slightly brown.
