Fontina And Herb Baked Penne

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until slightly firm just on the less done side of al dente. I suggest cooking 1-2 minutes less than the "al dente" instructions on the box.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Slowly whisk in the flour until a roux, or paste forms. Continue whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes, or until the paste is slightly darkened and nutty smelling. Pour in half the milk, continuing to whisk constantly. Once the milk and roux are well incorporated, add the remainder of the milk, continuing to whisk. Then, add the half and half and you guessed it, whisk some more. Stir in rosemary, thyme, and garlic.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs together.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the sauce blip away, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
Take about 1/2 cup of the sauce and slowly pour into the bowl with the beaten eggs, whisking constantly so the egg does not cook through. Once the two are incorporated, stir egg mixture into sauce, stirring until smooth. Add in the cheese and stir to melt. Once melted, add the salt and white pepper.
Stir in the drained macaroni and stir well to coat the penne with the sauce.
In a buttered casserole dish, pour in the sauced pasta. Top with parmesan and Panko-butter (if using). Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are browned and the center set.