Easy Greek Pastitsio with Creamy Bechamel

Method

1. Start by placing the bacon, garlic, onion, carrot, and celery in a blender and pulse until finely chopped (or chop by hand).
2. Heat the olive oil in a pot and brown the ground beef for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked.
3. Add all the chopped vegetables and stir, letting them soften for a few minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook it, stirring and rubbing it into the bottom of the pot, for 1 minute.
5. Pour in the brandy to deglaze, and let the alcohol evaporate.
6. Add the tomatoes (fresh or canned) and 1/2 cup of water.
7. Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium, and simmer gently for 30 minutes without losing the liquids.
8. The meat should be juicy and well-flavored.
9. Near the end of cooking, add the bay leaf and cinnamon, and season with salt and pepper. I want the meat to be quite juicy at the end, so you may need to add a little hot water or broth.
10. Let the herbs infuse for 5 minutes, then remove them.
11. Put all the bechamel ingredients (except the eggs) cold into the pot, and stirring regularly over medium-high heat, let it come to a boil and thicken for a few minutes.
12. Once the easy bechamel has boiled, remove from heat. Let it cool for 5-6 minutes, then add the beaten eggs and the kefalotyri.
13. Whisk quickly so the eggs are incorporated into the cream before they cook.
14. Boil the pasta in salted water for 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain.
15. Add the rigatoni to the meat sauce, then add half the cream and the cheese. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauces, and transfer to a buttered baking dish (25x38 cm) or ovenproof dish.
16. Don't worry if the sauces are quite runny; the pasta will absorb them and turn out perfect. Pour the remaining cream over and use a fork to gently stir so it gets inside the rigatoni.
17. We don't layer it like classic pastitsio. The cream will fill the holes of the rigatoni and burst in your mouth with every bite.
18. Sprinkle the surface with the 3 tablespoons of kefalotyri and bake in a preheated oven at 180-400°F (fan) for 30 minutes, on the middle rack, until a light crust forms. Don't cut it into pieces while it's hot.
19. Serve the pastitsio with a spoon while the creams are still flowing.
20. If you prefer a thinner bechamel for a fluffier result, add 1 cup of extra milk to the bechamel and the pastitsio will be more wobbly.
21. Boil the pasta 2 minutes less than the package says.
22. The meat should be juicy.
23. All ingredients for the easy bechamel should be cold, not warm.
24. You can omit the eggs or use only two yolks.
25. Use any pasta with a hole in the middle.
26. Optionally, 2 slices of bacon finely chopped in the meat will elevate the pastitsio.