Broccoli Pasta Bake (Simple & Delicious!)
This Broccoli Pasta Bake recipe will change the way you make pasta bake forever. Here I also show you how to prep and cook broccoli in the most delicious way imaginable!
Servings: 4
Cost: £2 / $2.50
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- 9" x 9" Baking Dish (or similar size)
- Large Deep Frying Pan & Wooden Spoon
- Whisk
- Large Pot & Colander (for pasta)
- Jug (for stock)
- Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized head of Broccoli, sliced into bite sized florets (weight of broccoli approx 12oz/350g before diced)
- 1 small-medium Red Onion, peeled & sliced into strips
- 300g / 10.6oz Rigatoni, (or short cut pasta of choice)
- 4 tbsp Butter (60g/2oz)
- 1 clove of Garlic, finely diced
- 4 tbsp Plain Flour
- 480ml / 2 cups Milk, at room temp
- 240ml / 1 cup Vegetable Stock
- 1 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 100g / 1 cup Gruyere, grated
- 100g / 1 cup Cheddar, grated
- 1 slice of Bread, pulsed into crumbs (see notes)
- Olive Oil/Oil Spray, as needed
- Salt & Black Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Add the broccoli and onion to a baking dish with a good drizzle of oil and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to combine, then roast in the oven for 15-20mins, or until the broccoli is lightly charred and fork tender. Give it a mix halfway. You can leave this to sit whilst you make the sauce.
- Place the pasta in salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Pasta should be a touch hard still, if it's fully cooked it'll come out sloppy when baked. Drain when done.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large deep pan over medium heat then fry the garlic for 30 seconds or so. Stir in the flour to form a roux, then gradually add in milk, whisking as you go to avoid lumps. Whisk in veg stock then simmer for a few mins, or until the sauce begins to thicken. You should be able to run your finger across the back of the wooden spoon and have it leave a path clear.
- Stir in the mustard, nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and pepper, then add in the broccoli/onion. Stir in the cheese until it melts then stir in the drained pasta. Pour everything back into the baking dish and level off with a wooden spoon.
- Top with breadcrumbs and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper, then liberally spray with oil. Bake in the oven at 200C/400F for 20mins, or until golden and bubbly.
Video
Notes
a) Gruyere - Gruyere has a gorgeous sweet and nutty twang to it, which works perfectly in this recipe. You'll find it in nearly all supermarkets/grocery stores. If you don't have it/want to use it, you can sub more cheddar. Do use it though if you can!
b) Al dente pasta - Like I mentioned in the method, you want to boil the pasta until it's just al dente. Any more and it'll turn sloppy when baking.
c) Breadcrumbs - Best to use bread that's ever-so-slightly stale and pulse it in a food processor. If you have ready made breadcrumbs (extra points for Panko) just use them. Just a light coating to cover the pasta, but not so much it soaks up all the sauce.
d) Calories - based on using 1 tbsp worth of olive oil to coat the broccoli/onions.
e) Update - I have updated the recipe to use 4 tbsp butter and flour, which just helps thicken the sauce a little more efficiently.
Nutrition
Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.54g | Protein: 24.54g | Fat: 23.74g | Saturated Fat: 12.97g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.58g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.52g | Trans Fat: 0.054g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 507mg | Potassium: 675mg | Fiber: 8.2g | Sugar: 6.91g | Vitamin A: 3650IU | Vitamin C: 151mg | Calcium: 670mg | Iron: 2mg