Description
A comforting and hearty Crusty Pasta & Broccoli Bake combining tender pasta and broccoli with a creamy mustard-infused sauce, topped with a golden, cheesy breadcrumb crust. Perfect as a satisfying vegetarian main or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Vegetables
- 400g penne or macaroni
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 250g head broccoli, stalks chopped and florets halved
Sauce and Toppings
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tsp French or German mustard
- 200g pot half fat crème fraîche
- 100g grated mature Gruyère or cheddar cheese
- Small handful parsley leaves, chopped
- 4 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs (or 1 slice crustless white bread processed)
- 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 continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Reserve about 400ml of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and vegetables thoroughly.
- Prepare the sauce: Return the reserved cooking water to the pan and dissolve the vegetable stock cube in it. Whisk in the French or German mustard and the half-fat crème fraîche. Season the sauce to taste and bring it to a boil.
- Combine pasta with sauce and cheese: Stir the drained pasta and vegetables into the sauce along with half of the grated mature Gruyère or cheddar cheese, mixing continuously until the cheese melts. Then fold in the chopped parsley evenly.
- Preheat grill and assemble bake: Heat the grill for 3 minutes while transferring the pasta and vegetable mixture into a shallow, ovenproof dish. Combine the remaining grated cheese, fresh breadcrumbs, and dried mixed herbs or thyme, then sprinkle this mixture evenly over the pasta.
- Grill until crusty: Place the dish on the base of a grill pan and grill for approximately 3 minutes. Turn the dish if parts of the crust start to brown unevenly. Watch carefully to avoid burning or toughening the cheese. Once golden and crispy, remove from grill.
- Rest before serving: Allow the bake to stand for 5 minutes to set and cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your flavorful crusty pasta and broccoli bake!
Notes
- You can substitute the Gruyère with mature cheddar or another cheese that melts well for a different flavor profile.
- Using a vegetable stock cube keeps this dish vegetarian-friendly and enhances the sauce’s depth.
- Fresh breadcrumbs give a superior crunch, but store-bought or processed white bread can be used as an alternative.
- Monitor the grill carefully during the final step to prevent burning the cheese topping.
- This dish can be prepared ahead of time up to the point before grilling and then finished just before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: European
Keywords: pasta bake, broccoli bake, vegetarian pasta, cheesy pasta, comfort food, baked pasta, healthy pasta dish
