PREHEAT: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

PASTA: prepare the pasta according to package directions. You’ll want to cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than what’s indicated on package directions. Drain, but don’t rinse the pasta. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven.

SAUTE: Add the olive oil to a large saute pan saute over medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring the onions frequently for 7-9 minutes or until softened. Then add the garlic and cook for another 45-60 seconds or until softened.

MEAT SAUCE: Kick the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Cook, crumbling it with a spatula for 5-7 minutes or until it browns. Add the tomato paste and allow it to brown for 20-40 seconds. Then add tomato sauce, crumbled beef bouillon, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Pour in ¼ cup water and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce starts to thicken and cling to the ground beef, about 5-7 minutes.

INFUSE: Add the bay leaf and the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let it cook for 45-60 seconds when melted. Add the crumbled beef bouillon.

BECHAMEL: Pour the milk and half and half into a measuring cup. Then, slowly add it to the flour mixture as you whisk, stopping in between to whisk out the lumps before adding more splashes of milk. Sprinkle in the nutmeg, white pepper, and ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt.

LET IT THICKEN: Continue to whisk, bring the mixture to a simmer, and let it bubble up. Whisk frequently so the flour doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Once bubbling, remove from the stove; stir in half of the mozzarella. Reserve the other half for topping.

LAYER: Combine ¼ of the bechamel sauce with the pasta and layer it in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with the meat mixture, followed by the remaining bechamel sauce on the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce. BAKE: Spray a piece of foil large enough to cover the dish with cooking spray, preventing it from sticking to the sauce. Cover the dish with the foil, then bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Hit the broil setting and broil just long enough for the top of the bechamel to start browning.

SERVE: Let stand 15 minutes before serving. You'll need to let it cool for 40-45 minutes to cut lean slices.