Preheat the oven to 375°F. See Note if making this a day ahead.

Add the grated cheeses to a large bowl, reserving a third of the mozzarella for later.

Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt, add ½ teaspoon of nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, then add ½ cup flour and stir with a spatula into a paste.

Reduce the head to low, then gradually pour in 3 cups of milk in ⅓ cup increments. Mix until you get a smooth paste, then continue to add the milk in splashes, mixing until a smooth sauce begins to form.

Add the garlic, rosemary, sage, bay leaf, a teaspoon of salt, a few cracks of pepper. Taste and season with salt and pepper as preferred. After the béchamel has been cooking for about five minutes, pull out the rosemary, bay leaf and sage leaves.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water liberally and cook the pasta for 6-7 minutes or until very al dente.

Add the béchamel to the bowl with the cheeses. Drain and add in the pasta. Then add the heavy cream. Mix all the cheese is melted, then pour into a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Top with dots of the remaining mozzarella and pour over the last cup of milk. (See Note if making this a day ahead).

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the bread crumb topping. Pulse until it is the texture of sand. Season with a pinch of salt to taste.

Scatter the dried bread crumbs over the macaroni and cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden brown and the macaroni is bubbling at the edges.

Serve warm!