Servings: 8

1. Grease a 9x12 baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
2. For the bechamel sauce, heat a large pot on medium heat. Add butter. Once the butter melts, whisk in the flour. Cook for one minute. Take the pot off the heat and slowly whisk in warm or hot milk, making sure there are no lumps.
3. Return the pot to the heat and whisk in 1 ½ teaspoons salt and the nutmeg. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking along the way. When mixture is thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. While bechamel is thickening, heat a large non-stick skillet on medium. Add ground beef. Start to brown the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. When beef is halfway done cooking, drain fat if necessary. Add onion, garlic, and remaining 1/12 teaspoons of salt. Continue to cook beef until it’s browned all the way through and onion is soft.
5. Mix in the tomato paste and cinnamon. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
6. When the meat sauce is almost done cooking, drop the pasta into the boiling water. Cook until it’s just UNDER al dente. Drain.
7. Slowly add ½ to 1 cup of the warm bechamel sauce to the beaten eggs so that eggs don’t curdle. Then whisk the egg mixture into the bechamel sauce in the pot.
8. Add the pasta back to the pot you cooked it in. Toss with half of the bechamel and half of the meat mixture.
9. Layer half the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Cover with remaining ground beef mixture. Layer remaining pasta on top. Pour remaining bechamel sauce on top of the pasta. Optional: Sprinkle another ½ cup grated romano on top.
10. Bake in the oven until lightly golden brown and bubbly, about 30-40 minutes. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.