Broccoli Pasta Bake
A creamy, cheesy Broccoli Pasta Bake, great for an easy weeknight dinner. With a crunchy cheesy topping, this will be your new favourite pasta bake!
Equipment
- saucepan
- casserole dish
- oven
- whisk
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 350 g pasta, penne or rigatoni
- 1 medium head broccoli cut into florets washed
- 1 medium onion finely sliced
- 40 g butter approximately 3 tbsp
- 40 g plain flour approximately ⅓ cup
- 1 pint semi-skimmed milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 100 g mature cheddar grated and divided into 70g and 30g
- 50 g vegetarian parmesan cheese finely grated and divided into 30g and 20g + more for serving
- 25 g panko breadcrumbs
- 0.25 teaspoon sea salt
- 0.25 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190C/374F.
- Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion and cook over a low heat until the onion is soft, about 20 minutes.
- Add the flour to the onion and stir until you have a smooth paste.
- Switch to a whisk and add the milk slowly, whisking continuously. Simmer for a minute or two, then whisk in the mustard, minced garlic, and thyme. Simmer until smooth.
- Whisk in 2-3 tablespoons of water from the cooking pasta.
- Turn off the heat and add 70g of grated cheddar and 30g of parmesan. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cooking
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions minus 5 minutes. About 5 minutes before draining, add the broccoli florets and cook together.
- Drain the pasta and broccoli and transfer to a large casserole dish.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta and broccoli and mix gently.
- In a small bowl, mix the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining cheddar and parmesan. Sprinkle over the pasta.
- Cover the dish loosely with kitchen foil and cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil and grill for about 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Leave to cool slightly, then serve. Optionally, sprinkle with parsley.
Notes
Use any hollow or ridged pasta for better sauce retention. Fresh broccoli is preferred but frozen can be used if thawed and dried. A good mature cheddar works best but gruyere can be used. Not recommended for freezing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 638kcalCarbohydrates: 74.8gProtein: 29gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 540mgPotassium: 664mgFiber: 4.8gSugar: 4.8gCalcium: 407mgIron: 5mg
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