Easy Broccoli Pasta Bake
This creamy cheesy broccoli pasta bake is so easy to put together even on a busy weeknight, with no need to precook anything, not even the pasta! Just assemble and bake! It is a super simple and budget friendly recipe; you can add other ingredients and adjust the flavorings as you wish to make it perfect for you.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) broccoli, florets chopped into small bite sized pieces - a little more or less is fine
- 12 oz (350 g) dried penne pasta
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 3 cups (200 g) grated cheddar cheese
- 3 cups (700 ml) vegetable or meatless chicken style stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) double (heavy) cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390F / 200C / 180C Fan.
- Brush a large casserole dish with oil, and add the dried pasta, garlic, thyme, mustard powder, smoked paprika and 1/3 (one third) of the cheese (save the remaining cheese for the topping). Mix it all together.12 oz dried penne pasta, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp mustard powder, 3 cups grated cheddar cheese, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Pour the cream and the vegetable stock over the top and mix it a little. We want the pasta to be as completely submerged as possible, but a few sticking over the top is OK.1 cup double (heavy) cream, 3 cups vegetable or meatless chicken style stock
- Add the broccoli florets over the top. Press them in a little but don't mix through - we want to keep the pasta submerged and it's OK if the broccoli isn't. It will steam as the pasta cooks.2 cups broccoli
- Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then remove and give it a good stir through. The pasta should be soft (it may still be a little al dente, but it should be almost done).The sauce should be much thicker than before, but we still want to see some excess liquid. If it sauce has thickened up too much, add another 1/2 cup or so of broth.
- Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 (two thirds) of the cheese on top and place back in the oven, uncovered, for another 10-15 minutes, until the topping is crisp (if the topping doesn't brown enough in this time, put it under the broiler).3 cups grated cheddar cheese
- Let sit for 5 minutes (longer if the sauce is still on the runnier side - it will thicken fast!) and serve.
Calories: 584kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 797mg, Potassium: 545mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1953IU, Vitamin C: 91mg, Calcium: 415mg, Iron: 2mg