Broccoli & Sausage Pasta Bake

By á-81356

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta shells
• 1 bundle broccoli, stems and leaves cut into one inch sections
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb Italian sausage (sweet, spicy pork or chicken), casings removed
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
• 8 oz mozzarella, cut into small cubes
• 3 cups full-fat milk
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and begin cooking according to package instructions. Five minutes before the cooking time is up, add broccoli. Give it a stir and let everything continue cooking. Drain the broccoli and pasta together and place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat behind.
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt butter in the same saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add flour and whisk into butter until smooth. Cook the mixture for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Pour in a small drizzle of milk, whisk constantly until smooth. Continue to drizzle a small amount of milk at a time while whisking. Once you have added a little over half of the milk, the sauce will start to thicken and you can add the milk in larger splashes. Once the milk is completely added, add the salt, garlic and a few grinds of pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Add the sausage and sauce to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli. Stir in mozzarella and half of the grated Parmesan. Pour into a deep oval or rectangular 3-Qt baking dish and top with remaining Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the edges start to brown.

Garnish with basil if desired. Eat warm and reheat as needed!