Description
A comforting and cheesy crusty pasta and broccoli bake featuring tender pasta, fresh broccoli, and a creamy mustard-infused sauce topped with a crispy golden breadcrumb and cheese crust, finished under the grill for a perfect crunchy topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Vegetables
- 400g penne or macaroni
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 250g head broccoli, stalks chopped and florets halved
Sauce
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tsp French or German mustard
- 200g pot half fat crème fraîche
Topping
- 100g grated mature Gruyère or cheddar
- small handful parsley leaves, chopped
- 4 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs (or 1 slice crustless white bread processed into crumbs)
- ½ tsp dried mixed herbs or thyme
Instructions
- Cook pasta and vegetables: Boil the pasta, chopped red onion, and broccoli stalks in plenty of lightly salted boiling water for about 7 minutes. Then add the broccoli florets and cook for another 3 minutes, reserving about 400ml of the cooking water before draining everything.
- Prepare the sauce: Return the reserved water to the pan and dissolve the vegetable stock cube. Whisk in the mustard and half-fat crème fraîche, seasoning to taste, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Stir the drained pasta and vegetables into the sauce along with half of the grated cheese, mixing until the cheese melts. Stir in the chopped parsley for added freshness.
- Assemble the bake: Heat the grill for 3 minutes. Transfer the pasta mixture to a shallow ovenproof dish. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and dried herbs, then scatter this topping evenly over the pasta.
- Grill to finish: Place the dish on the base of a grill pan and grill for about 3 minutes, turning if needed to prevent burning, until the topping is golden and crisp. Remove from the grill and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- If you prefer a richer bake, use full-fat crème fraîche and extra mature cheese.
- The dish can be prepared in advance and grilled just before serving for convenience.
- Substitute Gruyère or cheddar with other melting cheeses like mozzarella or fontina for variation.
- Use fresh breadcrumbs for the best crispy topping; stale breadcrumbs will result in less crunch.
- Keep a close eye during grilling to avoid burning the cheese topping.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: pasta bake, broccoli bake, cheesy pasta, vegetarian pasta dish, broccoli and cheese, casserole, comfort food
